LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 15/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:20-24. Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Tough words, but Israel-Hezbollah fight unlikely to happen soon/Matt Nash, NOW Staff 14/07/09
The right credentials. Now Lebanon/ July 14, 2009
Our World: Syria's hour of triumph.By CAROLINE GLICK.Jerusalem/Post July14/09
Amin al-Hafez will continue to serve as a point of reference for Lebanese. The Daily Star 14/07/09
Can Syria end the Arab cold war?guardian.co.uk 14/07/09
Fayyad and Syria's Regime Lie, Americans Applaud. Prof. Barry Rubin 14/07/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 14/09
Suicide bomber ambushes Canadian project in Kandahar-Canadian Press
Iran Executes 13 Sunni Rebels-New York Times
Explosion causes panic in south Lebanon-Jerusalem Post
In Israel, US envoy maps peace with Syria-Christian Science Monitor - USA
Army Forms a Joint Committee With UNIFIL Over Khirbit Silim Explosion-Naharnet
Lebanon: Explosion in Hezbollah weapons depot-Ynetnews
Reports of Hezbollah arms-storage facility blowing up in South Lebanon-Now Lebanon
Conflicting Reports over Ammunition Depot Blast in South-Naharnet
Going on the offensive-Ha'aretz
Ayalon: Too early to resume Syria talks-Jerusalem Post
Edde: Let the majority rule-Future News
Allouch: the opposition demands hinder cabinet formation-Future News
Terro: Damascus and opposition hampering cabinet formation-Future News
Gemayel: The majority must carry its responsibilities-Future News
Zahra: who won the elections govern-Future News
The note of formation and rhythm of obstruction-Future News
Jumblatt: less advices and more real support for PM Hariri-Future News
Berry: Cabinet formation is not difficult-Future News
1st Meeting between Jumblat, Wiam Wahhab in 4 Years-Naharnet
Father Drugged His 2 Children to Death Before Trying to Kill Himself-Naharnet
Former PM Amin al-Hafez Laid to Rest in Tripoli-Naharnet
Khalil from Rabiyeh: Opposition Wants Active Participation-Naharnet
No Breakthrough in Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Ban Urges World to Encourage Development of Political Maturity in Lebanon-Naharnet
Saniora from Baabda: I Am Sure that Hariri Taking Careful Steps-Naharnet
Berri Reiterates Need for Discretion in Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Pakradounian after Meeting Hariri: We Are Ready to Participate in Cabinet-Naharnet
Jumblat Warns of Israeli 'Revenge;' Calls for Adherence to Taef-Naharnet
Arslan: We Have a Parliamentary Majority and a Popular Majority-Naharnet
Pardoned Youssef Shaaban Describes President as a 'Hero'-Naharnet
Gemayel: Opposition Continues to Obstruct Cabinet Shape-Up-Naharnet
Aoun: Those who Criticize Proportional Representation Don't Want the Country to Rise-Naharnet
Former Lebanese PM Amin al-Hafez dies at age 83-Daily Star
Rivals dig in heels over cabinet formation-Daily Star
Tueni rejects granting opposition veto power-Daily Star
Interim social affairs minister meets with Sfeir-Daily Star
Saudi envoy calls for cabinet formed 'inside Lebanon'-Daily Star
'Minimum terms, maximum cooperation' key to cabinet-Daily Star
Sleiman highlights 'pivotal' Maronite role in Lebanon-Daily Star
Siniora urges unity in face of Israeli threat-Daily Star
Despite saber rattling, analysts see little chance of war with Israel-Daily Star
Beirut Stock Exchange down 6.1 percent.By Regional Press Network (RPN)
Unjustly jailed Palestinian declares Sleiman a 'hero'-Daily Star
Masnaa border crossing sees heavy congestion-Daily Star
Jezzine fire destroys forest, fruit and olive trees-Daily Star
To beat the heat, try one of Hamra’s ice cream parlors-Daily Star
A mecca or a kindergarten?: Impressions of Lebanon are as varied as its visitors-Daily Star
Iraqi judiciary ‘doing fine,’ says visiting top judge-Daily Star
Irresponsible solutions to summer heat only compound problem-Daily Star
'Further unrest can lead to Iran's disintegration'-Daily Star

Explosion causes panic in south Lebanon
© AP/2009-07-14
BEIRUT (AP) - A series of explosions in an abandoned building near Lebanon's tense border with Israel was caused by a fire in a Hezbollah weapons depot, a Lebanese security official said Tuesday. The blasts caused no casualties, but took place on the third anniversary of the monthlong summer war between Israel and the militant group and triggered widespread panic among residents, some of whom mistook it for an Israeli air raid.The depot in the village of Khirbet Silim, about 10 miles north of the border, was house d in an abandoned building and was likely used during the 2006 war, added the official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. The series of explosions caused a huge fire in the building and Lebanese soldiers and firefighters sealed the area off to keep journalists away. Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said UNIFIL was investigating the incident and had not yet determined the cause of the explosions. Hezbollah officials were not immediately available for comment. Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah fought a fierce but inconclusive war in 2006. A U.N.-brokered cease-fire that ended the fighting put the zone between the border with Israel and the Litani River to the north under control of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers. The region has been relatively quiet since although Hezbollah has boasted that it has returned to border areas and is suspected of maintaining secret weapons stashes there.

Reports of Hezbollah arms-storage facility blowing up in South Lebanon
July 14, 2009 NOW Staff
NOW’s South Lebanon correspondent reported that underground explosions were heard Tuesday morning starting at 8:00 a.m. between the villages of Khirbet As-Silm, Bir As-Salasil and As-Sultaniyeh. A second source told NOW that the explosions were the result of an underground Hezbollah arms storage facility blowing up.
The facility allegedly contained artillery, rocket-propelled grenades as well as machineguns used by Hezbollah fighters in the 2006 July War to face Israeli advances toward the villages of Ghandourieh and Froon in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the reports, saying that the explosions heard were of cluster bombs that were dropped by Israel during the July War and were collected by residents of the area. Hezbollah members surrounded the area to keep civilians out of the danger zone, while the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces deployed to investigate the cause of the explosions.No information has yet been confirmed.

Conflicting Reports over Ammunition Depot Blast in South
Naharnet/A series of blasts rocked an ammunition depot in Khirbit Silim neighborhood in southern Lebanon, local media said Tuesday. The Voice of Lebanon radio said the explosions were heard shortly after 7 am in al-Dabsheh hills overlooking Khirbit Silim south of the Litani River. It said the blasts were heard coming from an abandoned building, adding that security forces were investigating the incident. MTV television, for its part, said the explosions heard in Khirbit Silim were the result of an ammunition depot blast. While one media report said the blasts were the result of leftover bombs from the July 2006 Lebanon-Israel war, another quoted security sources as saying that the arms cache belonged to Hizbullah. It said it contained artillery shells, missiles and automatic weapons. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 11:02

Hizbullah arms depot explodes in southern Lebanon
By AP AND JPOST.COM STAFF
A series of explosions on Tuesday in an abandoned building near Lebanon's tense border with Israel was the result of a fire in a Hizbullah weapons depot, according to a Lebanese security official. There were no casualties in the blasts, though widespread panic was caused among residents, some of whom mistook it for an Israeli air raid.
The depot in the village of Khirbet Silim, about 10 miles north of the border, was housed in an abandoned building and was likely used during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, added the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. Lebanese soldiers and firefighters sealed the area off after the explosions to keep journalists away.
The Lebanese army issued a statement saying only that the area was sealed after an explosion in an abandoned building and that a joint committee from the military and UN peacekeepers was investigating. Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said UNIFIL was investigating the incident and had not yet determined the cause of the explosions.
Hizbullah officials were not immediately available for comment.

Army Forms a Joint Committee With UNIFIL Over Khirbit Silim Explosion
Naharnet/A press communiqué issued by Lebanon's military on Tuesday said that a joint committee has been formed by the Lebanese armed forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to investigate the explosion inside an abandoned building on the outskirts of Khirbit Silim in the Bint Jbeil region on the same morning. "Following the explosion on the outskirts of Khirbit Silim, the military surrounded the location," the communiqué said. An army spokesman told Agence France Presse (AFP), adding that no casualties were reported. Local television reported the depot contained rockets, automatic weapons and ammunition belonging to the Shiite militant group. "The blast occurred in an abandoned house in the village of Khirbit Silim," 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border with Israel, the spokesman said. Along with much of south Lebanon, the village is considered to be Hizbullah country. The Lebanese army cordoned off the area and did not allow reporters access to the site. "This weapons depot dates back to the July War," the army spokesman told AFP on condition of anonymity. "There was no one but Hizbullah in this area." U.N. reports on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 34-day war in July and August 2006 between Hizbullah and Israel, regularly express concern over the continued presence of Hizbullah arms in south Lebanon. The conflict began after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid. It destroyed much of Lebanon's major infrastructure and killed close to 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mainly soldiers. Hizbullah has refused to disarm although U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 reaffirms the need for militias in Lebanon to turn in their weapons. Hizbullah argues that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against Israel. Lebanese soldiers deployed in south Lebanon in the wake of the 2006 war for the first time in 30 years.(AFP and Naharnet) Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 17:00

Qassem Stresses No Politicization of Constitutional Council
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Naeem Qassem expressed his hope that the Constitutional Council would behave in a responsible and objective manner and remain far removed from any form of politicization. Following his meeting on Tuesday with former Member of Parliament Hassan Yaqoub, who is contesting the June 7 election, Qassem said: "When the opposition agreed to follow up on the issue of the election outcome as is, and that includes the right to contest, it did so to only to provide the example for making this experience a success." He went on to add that from a legal point of view the Constitutional Council should do its job "as per the applied legal balances, we want nothing but the law."
Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 19:24

Israel Establishes An Observation Chamber Close to Kfar Shouba
Naharnet/An Israeli force established an observation chamber next to a military location it established earlier two weeks ago close to the Kfar Shouba water pool. Lebanese army units in and around the area were placed on alert placing their armor in direct confrontation with Israeli forces. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) intervened and prevented a direct military confrontation between both sides. Israeli forces later withdrew after ensuring that the observation chamber was moved to their military locations inside the occupied Shebaa Farms. Exchanged contacts between UNIFIL and the Lebanese officers are currently underway to diffuse the situation. As Lebanese army units and UNIFIL forces remain on full alert. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 18:46

Taliban target Canadian model village project in Kandahar province
Tue Jul 14, 9:
By Dene Moore, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Taliban insurgents have targeted a high-profile Canadian project in Kandahar province with a suicide attack and an ambush.
A suicide bomber blew his vehicle up at an Afghan National Army outpost outside the village of Deh-e-Bagh on Monday night and a firefight ensued with armed insurgents.
A small team of Canadian soldiers mentoring the Afghan soldiers were on site, but none were injured and a Canadian military official said they did not engage in the Afghan army's firefight with the attackers. "The vehicle hit the main gate of the ANA checkpoint and detonated," Maj. Mario Couture said Tuesday. "There were other insurgents using small-arms fire." Couture said one Afghan soldier was killed and seven others injured, but the Canadian-trained Afghan soldiers repelled the attack, which never reached the village. "There were no civilian casualties," Couture said. Couture said the attack came as no surprise to the Canadian and Afghan military because of the high profile of the model village project.
he project was unveiled last month by Canadian Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, top commander in Kandahar province, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the new commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Canadian military officials hope it will be just the first of many villages, where it is believed reconstruction and the prospect of employment will win the support of Afghans caught in the crossfire of war.
The village, south of Kandahar city in the Dand district of the province, was financed by Canada but the work refurbishing the bombed-out district centre and an irrigation canal was undertaken by locals. Work is continuing in the village, which was expected to be completed later this summer. In unveiling the project, Vance said the model village "is counter-insurgency." "In the town of Deh-e-Bagh, the insurgents mean nothing. They're irrelevant. What we need to do is just spread that more and more." The village project did indeed attract the attention of insurgents, who attacked just before 8 p.m. local time Monday night. "Because it's such a threat to the insurgency it makes it a likely target," Couture said. "Is this a surprise? No. Are they going to try again? Most likely. But the place is well-defended."
Despite the death of an Afghan soldier, Couture said the Afghans' military mentors were pleased with the ability of the ANA to repel the attackers and keep them from the village. The army post that was hit is about 700 metres from the outskirts of Deh-e-Bagh. "Overall, the ANA troops did what they were supposed to be doing to protect the local population," Couture said.
"To us, it's a clear sign that the ANA is getting to a level of professionalism.... It's a sign that things are progressing." The Canadian mentoring teams have been working with the Afghan National Army for several years, and are increasingly serving as backup and oversight to the Afghans as they prepare to one day take over responsibility for security of their own nation - most immediately for the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections in August.

Ban Urges World to Encourage Development of Political Maturity in Lebanon
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said that he was optimistic about the future of Lebanon and urged the international community to encourage "development of political maturity" in the country. "All the developments … in Lebanon have been encouraging, and the whole international community, including myself as United Nations secretary-general, should support and encourage such ongoing development of political maturity," Ban told reporters in New York before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit there. Ban also said that the Lebanese national unity cabinet should be quickly formed. "The national government should be formed as soon as possible with all the parties participating there. This is what I have been discussing with the Lebanese leaders. And I am optimistic about the future of Lebanon," Ban said in response to a question. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:13

Gemayel: Opposition Continues to Obstruct Cabinet Shape-Up
Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel accused the opposition Monday of continuing to obstruct efforts to form a government and cautioned against a political stalemate in light of Israeli threats against Lebanon. Premier-designate Saad Hariri "should propose the formula that he sees most appropriate to the opposition," Gemayel said after talks with Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Gabriele Checchia."If they reject it, then the majority can govern and those who wish to participate from the opposition are free to do so," he added.
Gemayel cautioned that Lebanon must not be left in political limbo "especially in light of (Israeli PM Benjamin) Netanyahu's dangerous positions." "We have to take responsibility and the opposition can only assume its natural position in parliament as an overseer," he added. He said the majority "was prepared to give guarantees for good and excellent bilateral Lebanese-Syrian ties. It is also prepared to give guarantees to all the Lebanese teams."For his part, Checchia praised Hariri's efforts to form a cabinet. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 16:35

No Breakthrough in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/There still exists a lack of consensus among the various political leaders over a power-sharing deal amidst intensive meetings by PM-designate Saad Hariri for the formation of a national unity government.The political scene remains the same as the daily An Nahar quoted political and parliamentary sources as saying that government formation seems to be a "long process." Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi told An Nahar in remarks published Tuesday that the Cabinet lineup is "moving in a vicious circle." Meanwhile, As Safir newspaper, citing political sources, said new ideas have been discussed to facilitate government formation. "There is a possibility that the proposals suggested could lead to a breakthrough," one source said. Pan-Arab al-Hayat daily for its part said channels remain open between Qoreitem and the Opposition. It quoted a high-ranking political source as saying that Hariri maintains contacts with Hizbullah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in this regard. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 11:11

Saniora from Baabda: I Am Sure that Hariri Taking Careful Steps
Naharnet/Caretaker Premier Fouad Saniora put his trust in the PM-designate on Monday and said Saad Hariri was fully capable of forming the upcoming government.
Saniora also told reporters at Baabda palace that he discussed with President Michel Suleiman latest developments in the region and efforts to improve security during the tourism season. Asked about efforts to form a government, Saniora said: "We should not tackle the issue (in the media). The issue is within the jurisdiction of the premier-designate. I am sure that … he would study (the matter) well and coordinate with involved (officials) before taking any step.""Why would he resign," the caretaker PM wondered when a reporter asked him if Hariri should resign if he faces obstruction in formation of the cabinet. Saniora's visit to Suleiman on Monday came on the 3rd anniversary of the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah. He said despite differences of opinion, the Lebanese "succeeded in preventing Israel from emerging victorious and thwarted its plans." Saniora also told reporters that during the 34-day war that started on July 12, "Lebanon succeeded in carrying out the largest rescue operation and the biggest reconstruction effort in its (the war's) aftermath." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:54

1st Meeting between Jumblat, Wiam Wahhab in 4 Years
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat met his rival Wiab Wahhab, head of the Tawheed Movement, the first such meeting in four years. Local media on Tuesday said the meeting at Jumblat's house in Beirut's Clemenceau neighborhood took place at 7 pm Monday. The PSP said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the meeting was part of the "openness to dialogue," stressing on "turning the page on the past." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:43

Jumblat Warns of Israeli 'Revenge;' Calls for Adherence to Taef
Naharnet/MP Walid Jumblat said Lebanon must remain alert to the Israeli dangers warning that Israel has not accepted its defeat in the Second Lebanon War and will seek "revenge one way or the other.""Despite all the divisions or disagreements in explaining the underlying causes of the war and its circumstances, it remains (a fact) that the resistance scored a victory in the face of the Israeli occupation," Jumblat told al-Anbaa weekly newspaper. "On the third anniversary of the July war, we must remain vigilant and alert because Israel will not accept defeat," Jumblat. "It will seek revenge one way or the other to strike the resistance and the Lebanese steadfastness," he said. Jumblat pointed to Israel's daily breaches of Lebanon's sovereignty and of U.N. Resolution 1701. The Druze leader said Lebanon must return "the Taef accord, which lays the foundations for political partnership and power-sharing and calls for distinguished Lebanese-Syrian ties."He also called for adherence to a truce agreement with Israel "under which the state of war is frozen" and for the continued "rejection of normalization and settlement with Israel.""Let Lebanon be a model state for Arabs who signed peace deals with Israel serving only to weaken the Arab world and limit its ability to confront" the Israeli threats.
On another note, Jumblat said recent the reconciliation in the mountain "bolstered the positive climates," which have been prevailing in Lebanon. He voiced hope for "a broader reconciliation" and said the future carried "international and regional changes requiring an in-depth analysis due to their possible impact on Lebanon."  On the government formation, Jumblat criticized members of the majority and the opposition alike for "dictating to the premier-designate what to do and for inventing cabinet formulas.""He does not need bids as much as he needs real political support from all sides to facilitate the formation," Jumblat added. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 17:43

Pakradounian after Meeting Hariri: We Are Ready to Participate in Cabinet
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met Monday night a Tashnag delegation comprised of the Armenian party's Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian and MP Hagop Pakradounian. "We expressed willingness to facilitate the tasks of the premier," Pakradounian said following the meeting. "We as Tashnag and as an Armenian parliamentary bloc stressed our readiness to participate in the government. This is our right," he added. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 20:59

Berri Reiterates Need for Discretion in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated on Monday that "total discretion" was the best way to succeed at forming a new cabinet. Following his unannounced visit to Baabda palace, Berri said: "Discretion is the best way to reach goals." Last Wednesday, Berri made the same statement. But he also added that the Lebanese should be optimistic in order to find results. On Monday, Berri discussed with President Michel Suleiman latest developments and efforts to form the new government. The speaker told al-Akhbar daily in remarks published Tuesday that his visit to Baabda was the "start of additional efforts to quickly form the government and work to push things forward." He told the newspaper that he was waiting Premier-designate Saad Hariri to present a full cabinet formula, reiterating that government formation "will not be difficult." "We are still within the normal timeframe and we are waiting for a formula from the prime minister-designate," Berri said. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 08:19

Khalil from Rabiyeh: Opposition Wants Active Participation
Naharnet/A Hizbullah delegation headed by MP Hussein Khalil met Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun in Rabiyeh on Tuesday. Also attended the meeting were Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa and Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil. "The Opposition wants an active participation in the government," Khalil told reporters following the meeting.
Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 12:19

Former PM Amin al-Hafez Laid to Rest in Tripoli
Naharnet/Former Lebanese Prime Minister Amin al-Hafez was laid to rest on Tuesday a day after he died at the age of 83 from an undisclosed chronic illness. His coffin, draped in the Lebanese flag, was transported with a police convoy from Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut to his hometown of Tripoli in the north. Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, who led the burial prayers at Tripoli's Teenal mosque, described al-Hafez as a "national and Arab symbol who worked hard for his nation."Al-Hafez was picked by then President Suleiman Franjieh to form a government in 1973. However, Sunni religious leaders who opposed Franjieh refused to recognize the appointment. Al-Hafez was forced to resign about two months later. Al-Hafez later served as member of parliament, representing Tripoli until 1996. Caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Saniora declared a three-day mourning period for al-Hafez, during which flags at government institutions will be flown at half-staff. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 13:52

Father Drugged His 2 Children to Death Before Trying to Kill Himself
Naharnet/A father has drugged his two children – aged 5 and 7 – to death before trying to kill himself by lighting his apartment on fire. Police identified the killer as Muwaffaq Deeb al-Qbaissi, 50, a mechanical engineer who had worked in the U.S. for 20 years only to return home four years ago. He remained jobless throughout the four years. Qbaissi is divorced from his wife, Wisal Maamoun, who is the mother of the victims -- Adam, 5, and Omar, 7. The daily al-Liwaa on Tuesday said Qbaissi apparently committed the crime to take revenge on his wife.
According to police, the tragic incident took place Sunday evening, but the information was only revealed early Monday when Qbaissi's brother realized something was wrong after he got disconnected from a call with his brother. The brother rushed to the apartment in Dawhit Aramoun southeast of Beirut only to find the two boys lying dead on bed, hands tied together, with their father beside them trying in vain to breathe after setting the house on fire. Police and coroner officials, who were called to the scene, said Qbaissi drugged his boys with at least five pills each of Lexotanil and Stilonox sedatives dissolved in fruit juice. An Nahar newspaper, citing preliminary investigation, said Qbaissi -- who suffers psychological disorders, including hallucinations -- and his ex-wife were facing a lot of problems as well as several pending lawsuits. The mother was given guardianship over the boys who were allowed to visit their father twice a week. An Nahar quoted sources involved in the investigation as saying that Qbaissi claimed he did not mean to kill his children "but wanted to calm down the boys who seemed tensed." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 08:12

Arslan: We Have a Parliamentary Majority and a Popular Majority
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan summed up Monday the situation in Lebanon as one of "two simultaneous majorities," one was the parliamentary majority and the other was the opposition's popularity. "The solution that the opposition is proposing is for both majorities to coexist and cohabitate inside a single executive authority. "This suggestion embodies a 'Lebanese' solution to this Lebanese political problem," Arslan said following his election as head of the Lebanese Democratic Party. He said the right path for Lebanon is to "adhere to the resistance as an essential deterrent force, to national unity and to a strategic relationship with Syria." Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 19:08

Aoun: Those who Criticize Proportional Representation Don't Want the Country to Rise
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun reiterated on Monday that he holds onto the choice of proportional representation in the new cabinet. Aoun also stressed that he backs PM-designate Saad Hariri and wants the new government to succeed "because we want to build the country and we reject the formation of the cabinet in Arab countries."
In answering those who criticize proportionality, the MP said: "They only crave for power and don't want the country to rise."
Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 13:16

The right credentials
July 14, 2009
Now Lebanon
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (L) meeting with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (R) at the former's residence in an undisclosed location, late June 18, 2009. (AFP/HO/Hezbollah Press)
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, according to one Lebanese daily, recently discussed the 2006 July War with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. As-Safir reported Jumblatt as saying that Nasrallah had “admonished” him for his stand against the conflict. “He has the right to do so,” the enigmatic Druze leader said, “but the most important thing is that we decided to turn a new page, build trust, and foster dialogue and reconciliation.”
Fair enough, but the PSP boss should have added that, even though he conceded Nasrallah’s right to “admonish” him, it should neither be seen as vindication of Hezbollah’s actions that summer, nor should Jumblatt’s stance be interpreted as in any way morally wrong.
The 2006 July War has become a benchmark for measuring one’s Arab credentials. For there is a corrosive school of thought that posits that if you are not with Hezbollah you are against it; that if you were angered by the party’s role in the war, you were, somehow, “with” Israel and harbored treasonous thoughts.
It doesn’t stop there. If you, like many Lebanese, wish to see Hezbollah disarm because you believe, not unreasonably, that instruments of death should by and large be kept under state control, you are at best ignorant, heartless and out of touch with the struggle of the people of South Lebanon; at worst you want to bend to Israeli demands and have no objection to Lebanon being dominated by a demonic troika of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. And finally, if you object to the whole concept of the Resistance and its right to “resist” because you might believe the time for such an entity has passed, then you are falling short in your duty as an Arab in the eternal fight against the Zionist entity.
These assumptions have been used to both define March 8 and tar March 14. The March 8 coalition hides the fact it really has nothing to offer except obstruction and conflict behind a nebulous aura that is a quirky alliance of Arab and Lebanese nationalism and religious zealotry. On one level, it sells itself as the bastion of wholesome Arab solidarity, while March 14, the bloc of choice for the uncaring bourgeoisie, is a tool of modern imperialist expansionism with a healthy dollop of corruption and greed thrown into the mix.
The reality is different. Jumblatt nailed it when he railed against the war back in July 2006, before Hezbollah’s spin doctors stepped in and gave us the Divine Victory. The war was a reckless act of adventurism, the blame for which lies fairly and squarely on Hezbollah’s doorstep. That the party by all accounts acquitted itself admirably on the battlefield does not in any way excuse its lack of judgment, nor for that matter its belief in its right to take Lebanon to war with an enemy it claims to know so well, an enemy whose ruthlessness was demonstrated in no uncertain terms over 30 bloody days. Lebanon didn’t need to lose 1,000 sons and daughters just for Hezbollah to prove it wouldn’t roll over.
So where does all the tub-thumping leave us today? March 8 says it wants to work with March 14 in a government of national unity, so there clearly cannot be that huge an ideological chasm. Therefore the time has come for March 8 to stop ramming its Arab credentials down our throats, stop playing Spot the Zionist Imperialist and start working toward burnishing the Lebanese credentials it claims to have. Lebanon not only needs a government, it needs a government that will respect Lebanon’s constitution and reflect its democratic process.
As Khairallah Khairallah said in his most recent column on this site “March 14 does not need a certificate of patriotism or decency… [it] won the latest elections [because it represented] independence, freedom and sovereignty.”
Surely those are good enough credentials to be going with for now?

Tough words, but Israel-Hezbollah fight unlikely to happen soon
Matt Nash, NOW Staff , July 13, 2009
Hard-line Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently warned all of Lebanon would pay the price should Hezbollah join the government and attack the Jewish state. (AFP/POOL/Atef Safadi)
As cabinet consultations continue, two things appear certain: Hezbollah will participate in the Lebanese government – whether or not March 8 gets veto power – and Israel will have a longer list of targets should it decide to strike Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that if Hezbollah joins the cabinet, the whole country would be responsible for any attacks on the Jewish state, reiterating comments he made at the end of June during a closed-door cabinet session.
The biggest threat of these words turning into fatal action in the short term seems to be an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Hezbollah, which maintains very close ties to the Islamic Republic, has not said directly how it would respond to such an attack, but Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, said in August 2008 that "The first shot fired from the Zionist entity toward Iran will be met by a response of 11,000 rockets in the direction of the Zionist entity. This is what military leaders in the Islamic republic have confirmed," according to the National News Agency. He did not elaborate where the rockets would be fired from, though many analysts expect Hezbollah would respond from Lebanon.
In fact, in an interview aired Saturday on Al-Jazeera, released Israeli prisoner Samir Kantar said Hezbollah “will not leave Iran, one of the pillars of Islam, alone without intervening” if Israel attacked it.
Israel’s threat that all of Lebanon would be responsible for Hezbollah attacks likely means more widespread targeting of the country’s infrastructure, according to Timur Goksel, a security consultant and former spokesman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in South Lebanon.
“They are preparing the ground to attack infrastructure targets more than they did last time [during the 2006 July war],” he told NOW. “And I know that some of the [Israeli] military in the 2006 war, when things didn’t go as they wanted, wanted to hit those targets, but, I think they were stopped by their own politicians. So that’s what they are preparing the ground for.”
There has been much speculation lately about the likelihood of Israel making a move against Iranian nuclear facilities, which Israel and the West suspect Iran is using to make an atomic bomb, while Tehran maintains that it is enriching uranium to meet domestic energy needs.
And with hardliners in power in both Israel and Iran, the antagonism between them is likely to continue simmering.
Iran recently affirmed the disputed re-election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who last week vowed to continue the foreign policy he pursued during his first term, which included harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric. The June poll led to the most serious internal unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, and some argue that a war would go a long way toward forging unity at a fractious time.
Indeed, the Israeli government, led by a mostly right-wing coalition, is more likely to use force to maintain Israeli military supremacy in the region. In an interview with the weekly magazine of Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Israeli National Security Council chief Uzi Arad said of Iran, "The defensive might we have must be improved and become tremendously powerful, and create a situation in which no one will dare to realize the ability to harm us. And if they do dare, we will exact a full price, so that they too will not survive."
US Vice President Joe Biden meanwhile raised eyebrows earlier this month in a televised interview when he said Israel is a “sovereign nation” that can choose for itself whether or not to make a pre-emptive move against Iran, indicating the US would not prevent such action.
Israel’s hard-line Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quick to jump on Biden’s comments, calling them “logical” and saying, “sometimes there are disputes between friends, but at the end of the day the decision is ours,” according to the Associated Press.
However, US President Barack Obama a few days later told CNN that Washington had “absolutely not” given Israel a “green light” on a strike.
Obama is seeking engagement with Tehran, which would certainly be compromised by an Israeli strike. Furthermore, Israel seems to want more than tacit approval from Washington. A report from January published in the New York Times said Israel asked former US President George W. Bush for bunker-buster bombs to hit underground nuclear facilities and additional refueling planes in order to send a larger force to Iran to conduct such a raid. Israel also reportedly asked for rights to fly through Iraqi airspace.
Bush denied the request, a policy choice Obama seems highly unlikely to overturn. That said, Israel could pull off a raid without the refueling equipment and a recent report from the Times said Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israel using the kingdom’s airspace to reach its regional arch-rival. Both Israeli and Saudi officials denied the report.
Israel attacked an Iraqi nuclear facility unilaterally in the 1980s and took out what it said was a nuclear site in Syria in late 2007, so moving against Iran would not be outside the realm of possibility, but Washington, at least in the near term, seems to oppose an attack. The peace process is already straining US-Israel relations, and defying Obama’s wishes appears an unlikely Israeli option for now.
But if Iran continues uranium enrichment while rejecting Western attempts to monitor and control the process, a strike, whether the US likes it or not, cannot be ruled out and would seem to have disastrous consequences for Lebanon.

Rivals dig in heels over cabinet formation
Hariri 'not willing' to give opposition veto power
By Elias Sakr /-Daily Star staff
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: With the efforts to form a government stalled, the March 14 Forces reiterated on Monday their refusal to grant the opposition veto power in the next Cabinet, while Speaker Nabih Berri repeated his demands for "real partnership in decision making." Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun reiterated on Monday his demand for proportional representation inside the new cabinet.
Tackling Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's proposals regarding the upcoming cabinet, Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat told The Daily Star on Monday that Hariri was willing to grant the opposition "effective participation in decision-making but no veto power while granting President Michel Sleiman the balancing vote."
"The March 14 win in the June 7 elections by a majority of parliamentary seats should be reflected in the Cabinet by being granted a majority of seats as well," Fatfat said.
Fatfat said Hariri's latest discussions focused on the formation of the upcoming national-unity cabinet, however, deliberations didn't tackle the government's make-up.
When asked about the divergence in statements between Berri and Aoun, Fatfat underscored that the opposition was united in its demand for veto power.
"Given the latest statements by opposition figures. including [Marada Movement leader] Sleiman Franjieh and [former Minister] Wiam Wahhab demanding the blocking third, I assume they are distributing roles," Fatfat said.
Fatfat stressed that granting the opposition veto power contradicted the Taif Accord, adding that the opposition was trying to "reimpose the expired Doha agreement."
"Qatari officials announced that the Doha agreement had expired, but nonetheless the opposition is still trying to enforce it rather than implementing the Taif Accord," he said.
Conversely, sources close to Berri told The Daily Star on Monday that the speaker was calling for a national-unity cabinet that guaranteed partnership.
The source added that under no circumstances did the speaker demand veto power during discussions to form a cabinet.
The source said Berri highlighted during talks with President Michel Sleiman on Monday the need to form a national-unity cabinet that guarantees real partnership in decision making.
The source stressed that Berri would facilitate "through all possible means" Hariri's task to reach an agreement on the structure of the next cabinet. "Berri's only demand is that the government make-up ensures real partnership among Lebanese groups," the source said.
The source added that Berri discussed with Sleiman on Monday the latest developments on the Lebanese political scene, prior to the president's two-day participation in the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Egypt. Following his unannounced visit to the Baabda Palace, Berri told reporters on Monday that "total discretion" was the best way to succeed at forming the upcoming cabinet. "Discretion is the best way to reach goals," Berri said.
Also on Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora held talks with Sleiman. Siniora told reporters that the formation of the cabinet was Hariri and Sleiman's responsibility. "We should not tackle the issue [in the media]," he said. Meanwhile, Aoun reiterated on Monday his demand for proportional representation, however he denied that the opposition was seeking to obstruct the government decision-making process. "We don't seek obstruction in the next government and such prejudices by some March 14 figures are a distortion of the truth," Aoun told reporters. "If the premier-designate faces obstruction in the upcoming cabinet, he can resign from his post," Aoun added.
Aoun, who also voiced support for Hariri, said he hoped for the cabinet formation would succeed "away from foreign intervention." Commenting on March 14 groups' criticism of his calls for proportional representation, Aoun said figures of the alliance "only craved power at the expense of the country's growth." Meanwhile, Phalange Party head Amin Gemayel announced on Monday that the parliamentary majority can form a government "on its own if the opposition rejects Hariri's proposals."Following talks with Italian Ambassador Gabriel Checchia, Gemayel said "the majority can govern alone, however the participation of any opposition group is welcome."He added that the parliamentary majority was willing to "provide Lebanese parties with certain guarantees and to ensure special relations between Lebanon and Syria."Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed on Monday that both the opposition and the majority should refrain from tying Hariri to any conditions regarding the cabinet make-up.
He also called on parties to voice political support for Hariri by "toning down their rhetoric" about the deliberations. Jumblatt added that the government make-up should be based on partnership according to principles of the Taif Accord. Concerning Lebanese-Syrian ties, Jumblatt called for "special relations with Syria given that the two neighbors refrain from interfering in each other domestic affairs." President Bashar Assad told visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Syria didn't set any pre-conditions on the cabinet's formation according to the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat. Citing a high-ranking French official, the paper said Assad dealt "openly" with issues raised by Kouchner regarding Lebanon. "Assad believed that obstacles delaying the advancement in Lebanese-Syrian ties no longer exist, given that Syria maintains communications with all Lebanese groups."

Tueni rejects granting opposition veto power
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: MP Nayla Tueni said Monday she would not vote in favor of the new cabinet if it adopted stances contradictory to the March 14 political platform that was announced prior to the 2009 parliamentary polls. "The majority should support Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and refrain from granting the opposition the obstructing-third vote," she told Future News television station. Tueni stressed the necessity of holding constructive dialogue and forming an effective cabinet, something that will "contribute to the establishment of the state." Commenting on the third anniversary of the summer 2006 war with Israel, Tueni said: "The lesson that should be learned from the war is the need to have a strong Lebanese state, which has the exclusive power over waging war or not." She added that Hizbullah should give up its weapons to the state and "allow its members to join the Lebanese Armed Forces." The young lawmaker also accused "certain Lebanese parties of relying on Damascus to make political decisions." - The Daily Star

Interim social affairs minister meets with Sfeir
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Mario Aoun met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on Monday at the prelate's summer seat in the northern mountainous village of Diman. Speaking to reporters, Aoun called for the formation of a new cabinet "as soon as possible," adding that he hoped "it will be similar to the current one, which is functional." Almost all Lebanese factions are represented in the current Cabinet, which become a caretaker government on June 21. The interim Cabinet includes 13 ministers for the parliamentary majority, 11 for the opposition, three for President Michel Sleiman and three independents. Aoun also expressed hope that a rapprochement among Christian political parties would be reached under the auspices of Sfeir. - The Daily Star

Sleiman highlights 'pivotal' Maronite role in Lebanon
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman, in a meeting with a delegation from the Maronite General Council at Baabda Palace, highlighted the Maronites' "pivotal" role in Lebanon. Sleiman said that in a religiously diverse country such as Lebanon, "interaction among various religious groups creates a beautiful dynamic." "Lebanese sects should not struggle among themselves, otherwise Lebanon will lose its main characteristic which is diversity, a key property which makes our country a model and a need to the world and to dialogue between religions and cultures." - The Daily Star

Saudi envoy calls for cabinet formed 'inside Lebanon'
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Assiri expressed hope Monday that the Lebanese would form a government "inside Lebanon," without foreign interference. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with caretaker Culture Minister and newly elected MP Tammam Salam, the ambassador stressed that his country supported any effort to safeguard Lebanon's unity and stability. Salam in turn said that no one could deny that the regional situation influences Lebanon, "especially when an important political process is taking place," in reference to the new cabinet formation process. - The Daily Star

Former Lebanese PM Amin al-Hafez dies at age 83
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Former Lebanese Premier Amin al-Hafez, who served a turbulent two-month term in 1973 before he was forced to resign, died Monday. He was 83. Caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora declared a three-day mourning period for Hafez, during which flags at state institutions will be flown at half-mast. Hafez died in a Beirut hospital after a long-running battle with an undisclosed chronic illness, medical officials said. A Sunni Muslim, he was picked by President Suleiman Franjieh to form a government in 1973. Although the prime minister's post is reserved for a Sunni under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, Sunni religious leaders who opposed Franjieh refused to recognize the appointment.
Hafez chose to resign about two months later. The crisis, along with a battle between Lebanese troops and Palestinian guerrillas that year, contributed to the tensions that burst into all-out Civil War in 1975. Hafez also served as an MP, representing his hometown of Tripoli from 1960 to 1996. Head of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission for more than 30 years, Hafez attended the United Nations meeting that concluded in the declaration of Resolution 425 calling upon Israel to withdraw for occupied Lebanese territories. Commenting on Hafez's death, Premier-designate Saad Hariri stressed Monday that he was a patriotic man who served Lebanon's interests as well as the Arab cause. "The Lebanese people remember Prime Minister Hafez's efforts as an MP and head of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission during which he bravely faced Israeli threats and defended the Palestinian cause," Hariri said. Hariri also expressed his "sincere condolences" to Hafez's family and Tripoli's residents. Hafez will be buried in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli Tuesday. - The Daily Star, with AP

Siniora urges unity in face of Israeli threat
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that the Lebanese, despite "divergence in political viewpoints," succeeded in defeating Israel through their "unity, solidarity and steadfastness." In statement to mark the third anniversary of the summer 2006 war with Israel, Siniora called for "strengthening cooperation and coexistence to confront Israeli threats."
Siniora added that the cabinet was capable of reconstruction with the help of Arab and foreign states.
"Israel is embracing a far more extremist behavior through rejecting the Arab Peace Initiative and holding to its previous policies, which are dangerous to Lebanon and the region," Siniora said.
Israel's 34-day military assault on Lebanon between July 12 and August 14 2006 killed 1,191 Lebanese, most of them civilians, and wounded over 4,400. Israeli attacks also killed five peacekeepers serving as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The hostilities left a further one million Lebanese displaced. A total of 119 Israeli soldiers and 44 civilians were also killed during the conflict, according to Israeli counts.
In a separate statement to mark the war's anniversary, former Premier and newly-elected MP Najib Mikati said that loyalty to the martyrs who fell in the summer 2006 conflict is expressed through "reinforcing Lebanese unity, and confronting any possible Israeli aggression." This calls for speeding up the cabinet formation based on the principles of consensus, solidarity and constructive national partnership among the Lebanese, away from obstruction and monopoly," the former premiere said.
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Higher Shiite Supreme Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, said the Lebanese had defeated Israel and achieved "divine victory" in 2006.
"The Lebanese were never intimidated by Israeli threats and will never be," Qabalan added in a statement on Monday.
Meanwhile, former Israeli army chief Dan Halutz said he would have recommended the military to take the same measures were the conflict were to erupt again.
"Even today, given the same figures, I would have recommended the same course of action," he told a conference at the Tel Aviv University's Center for Strategic Research on Sunday.
But former Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Israel had achieved only limited success during the war. Mofaz termed the war a "missed opportunity" for the Israel and told Israeli Radio on Sunday that Hizbullah now has more missiles than it did prior to the conflict. He added that the Shiite group had increased the range of its rockets.
Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, who served as the Israeli army's deputy chief of staff during the 34-day war, agreed with Mofaz, saying that both the army and the government made numerous mistakes. Kaplinsky, who spoke during a conference to mark the third anniversary of the war, said the Israeli military did not employ its preplanned reaction in case of soldier abduction and rocket fire. He added that the army also failed to utilize all of the units and tools at its disposal and was too slow at calling up reserve units. - The Daily Star

Unjustly jailed Palestinian declares Sleiman a 'hero'
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Released prisoner Youssef Shaaban described President Michel Sleiman as a "hero" Monday for ordering his release after 15 years in prison. Lebanon's president on Friday ordered the release of the innocent Palestinian who spent 15 years in prison after he was convicted of assassinating a Jordanian diplomat, Omran al-Maayta in Beirut.
Sleiman also instructed the Justice Ministry to arrange for Shaaban's release. A Lebanese court found Shaaban guilty in 1994 of shooting the diplomat while he sat in his car in front of the Jordanian Embassy in January of that year. But in 2002, a court in Jordan found that other people were responsible for the slaying and convicted them. It took seven more years for Lebanon to issue a presidential pardon required for Shaaban's release. A statement Friday from the president's office did not say why it took so long.
During his trial, Shaaban admitted to being part of Abu Nidal's group. Those who were later found responsible for the diplomat's killing were also linked to Abu Nidal.
The assassination of Maayta, first secretary of the Jordanian Embassy in Beirut, took place as Jordan and Israel were in negotiations that led to a peace treaty in October 1994. Abu Nidal opposed peace between Israel and Arab nations. Rights groups, Shaaban's family and some politicians sought his pardon for years, saying he was unjustly imprisoned.
Shaaban was transferred Monday afternoon from a prison in Jbeil to the Directorate General of General security in Beirut in preparation for his release, after 15 year in jail.
Dozens of Palestinians gave Shaaban a hero's welcome at his home in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in south Beirut. Well-wishers carried him on their shoulders and waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags. - The Daily Star, with agencies

Amin al-Hafez will continue to serve as a point of reference for Lebanese
By The Daily Star /Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Editorial
The passing of Amin al-Hafez, Lebanon’s would-be prime minister in the 1970s, gives us pause as we reflect on someone who was synonymous with two things: “not becoming” premier, and always remaining a symbol of moral rectitude. When faced with the fierce opposition of the Sunni clerical establishment in 1973, Hafez opted out of the game and the entire process of forming a Cabinet in our lamentable, sect- and clan-dominated political system. Ironically, he was appointed to his post by a traditional za’im, Suleiman Franjieh, who also gave us the “youth” Cabinet of 1970 but was unable to see through a second, non-traditional choice.
Hafez decided to remain above the parochial world of political deal-making at the time, although he certainly could have had a prominent role in Lebanon’s history, as an ally of Yasser Arafat in the tumultuous 1970s.
It was in the nature of Amin al-Hafez to take such a principled moral stand and not waver, as evidenced by his later political career, as a long-standing representative of his native city, Tripoli, an MP during throughout the lost years of civil war, as well as the early years of post-conflict reconstruction.
Lebanon has had countless martyrs to politics: people whose deaths are blamed on Israel, or Syria, or others. But Hafez was one of those rarest of Lebanese creatures: a martyr who lost “only” his political life, and for the noblest of causes. By permanently bowing out of consideration for the post of prime minister, Hafez has served, and will continue to serve, as a point of reference for us. He might have been under the radar for many observers of Lebanese politics, but he’s the kind of person who suddenly springs into existence when it’s required.
This happens when one pauses and reflects, and seeks to understand where the border lies: the border between playing and not playing the same old game.
Such a fate can be common for those who are ahead of their time: Hafez was committed to a Lebanon of plurality and democracy, as well as to its Arab identity – the kind of principles we sorely need today. His own family is an extension of this love of country and nation; Hafez made contributions to politics, his late wife Laila to the world of literature, and son Ramzi to the world of the media, as the publisher of Lebanon Opportunities. Amin al-Hafez didn’t waver on his principles: re-forming and re-shaping our political system, using a secular approach to arrive at a civil state. He’ll be remembered at every time of moral crisis, when one needs to recall what it means to stick to one’s principles, and what it truly means to be committed to advancing the causes of the Arab world.

Our World: Syria's hour of triumph
By CAROLINE GLICK
Jerusalem/Post July14/09
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443799358&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
In an interview with Britain's Sky News over the weekend, US President Barack Obama was asked whether he is planning to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad's invitation to visit Damascus. The very fact that an American presidential visit to the Syrian capital is on the international agenda demonstrates how radically US foreign policy has shifted.
Four years ago, president George W. Bush withdrew the US ambassador from Damascus following the regime's suspected role in engineering the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. Last month Obama announced that he is returning the US ambassador to Damascus.
Obama's response to the Sky News query was instructive. "There are aspects of Syrian behavior that trouble us and we think there is a way that Syria can be much more constructive on a whole host of these issues," he began cautiously.
Then came the zinger: "But as you know, I'm a believer in engagement and my hope is that we can continue to see progress on that front." By so describing Syria, Obama acknowledged that it hasn't changed. The Syria he seeks to engage is the same Syria that Bush decided to isolate. But facts cannot compete with "hope." Obama is a "believer." He has "hope."
In his move to engage Syria, Obama is enthusiastically joined by France and the rest of Europe as well as by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Over the past several months, Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and dozens of others have beaten a path to Assad's door. With French President Nicolas Sarkozy leading the charge, all are agreed that Assad is a man they can do business with.
But are they right? In the absence of any change in Damascus's behavior, is there reason to believe that it can be coddled into abandoning its strategic alliance with Iran? Can it be sweet-talked into ending its support for the insurgency in Iraq, or arming Hizbullah and sponsoring Hamas? Can Syria be appeased into ending its nuclear and other nonconventional proliferation activities? Can it be "engaged" into ending its campaign against the pro-Western democrats in Lebanon?
To assess the reasonableness of engagement, it is first necessary to analyze the West's most significant achievements regarding Syria in recent years and consider their origins. Then, too, it is important to consider how these achievements are weathering the US's new commitment to engage Damascus as a strategic partner, and what their current status bodes for the future of the region.
THE WEST has had two significant achievements regarding Syria in recent years. The first came in April 2005 with the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon after a 29-year occupation. The second was Israel's September 6, 2007 attack on Syria's al-Kibar nuclear installation.
Three events precipitated Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. First there was the Cedar Revolution in which more than a million Lebanese took to the streets beginning on March 14, 2005 to demand that Syria withdraw in the wake of the Hariri assassination. Like the recent revolutionary ferment in Iran, this outpouring of opposition to Syria showed the West the massive dimensions of Lebanese yearning for independence. The Bush and Chirac governments responded with complementary willingness to confront Damascus.
The rare show of Franco-American unity as French president Jacques Chirac joined forces with the Bush administration to punish Assad for murdering Hariri was the second cause of Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. On March 25, 2005 the US and France pushed through UN Security Council Resolution 1695 mandating the establishment of a UN commission to investigate Hariri's assassination. The specter of this commission and the investigation that ensued served as a sword of Damocles pressing ever closer to Assad's throat.
Finally, Syria was convinced to withdraw due to the US's regional deterrent power. In March 2005 the US's military credibility in the region was at a high point. In January 8 million Iraqi voters had gone to the polls to vote in the first free and open elections in that country's history.
The US's message of resolve against Syria was unequivocal. Appearing with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir at the White House on March 16, 2005, Bush said, "United States policy is to work with friends and allies to insist that Syria completely leave Lebanon, Syria take all her troops out of Lebanon, Syria take her intelligence services out of Lebanon." There was no wiggle room for Syria four years ago. There was no appeasement. Assad had one option. He could withdraw his forces and let the Lebanese be free, or he could risk losing his regime. He left Lebanon.
UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY this singular achievement is being frittered away. With the evaporation of Western will to confront it, Syria is moving swiftly to reassert its control over Lebanon. The West has allowed the Hariri tribunal to fade away. And today it is effectively supporting Assad as he seeks to determine the character of the next Lebanese government.
In his speech to the Muslim world last month in Cairo, Obama indicated that the US no longer objected to Hizbullah or Hamas as political forces when he said, "America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them."
After last month's Lebanese elections in which Hizbullah lost to Sa'ad Hariri's March 14 movement, the administration went a step further. Rather than capitalize on Hizbullah's defeat by strengthening the victorious pro-democracy forces, the White House signaled that it preferred the formation of a unity government with Hizbullah. In a postelection statement, the White House urged the March 14 bloc to "maintain your power through consent."
Whereas the US has merely hinted its support for the inclusion of Hizbullah in the next Lebanese government, Europe has embraced the embraced the Iranian proxy terror group explicitly. France, Britain and the EU have all met with Hizbullah members since the elections and have enthusiastically thrown their support behind the Iranian proxy's participation in a "unity" government. Saudi Arabia has similarly come out in support of such a government.
The US and European embrace of Hizbullah is now enabling Syria to reassert its control over the Lebanon under the guise of the new era of engagement. Through its sponsorship of Hizbullah, Syria has become the primary power broker in Lebanon, even as it is heralded by the likes of Kouchner and Solana for its supposed noninterference in Lebanese politics.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, center, and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner attend a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday.
Photo: AP
Bowing to US, European and Saudi pressure to give Hizbullah in coalition negotiations what it failed to win at the ballot box, Hariri announced shortly after the election that he supports the establishment of a unity government. In so doing, he was forced to accept that the fate of his government now rests in Assad's hands.
With each passing day, it is increasingly clear that Syria means to extract a high price from Hariri in exchange for Hizbullah's sought-after participation in his government. Recognizing the trap, Hariri's supporters are calling for him to form a narrow coalition without Hizbullah and its sister parties. But it is hard to imagine that either the US or Europe would accept such an outcome.
Were Hariri to form a narrow coalition without Hizbullah, he would expose the lie of Syrian goodwill and noninterference in Lebanese affairs. And were he to expose Syria's bad faith, he would demonstrate the folly and danger of the US-led carnival of engagement. Since this outcome is unacceptable to both Obama and Sarkozy, who have staked their reputations on appeasing Assad where Bush and Chirac isolated him, Hariri will likely have no choice but to surrender his nation's hard earned independence to the same Syrian regime that killed his father four years ago.
WITH THE WEST now actively assisting Syria in reasserting its hegemony over Lebanon, the one achievement that remains in place is Israel's successful removal of the threat of Syria's nuclear program two years ago. But here too, the powerful legacy of that strike is being frittered away in this new era of engagement.
Israel's destruction of Syria's al-Kibar nuclear installation demonstrated three things. First, it revealed that Syria was massively engaged in illicit nuclear proliferation. Second, it showed that the option of striking illicit nuclear programs militarily is a viable option. And third, it exposed the strategic linkages between the Syrian, Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs.
Two years on, due to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's institutional hostility toward Israel and the US's unwillingness to confront Syria, Damascus has paid no international price for its rogue nuclear program. Indeed, the main target of the IAEA's investigations of the al-Kibar facility has been Israel. The message that UN and US unwillingness to contend with obvious proof of Syria's criminal behavior is obvious: Would-be proliferators have nothing to fear from the international community.
The absence of a reconstituted Syrian nuclear program after two years exposes the central operational lesson of Israel's air strike: Military strikes can be a very effective tool in preventing rogue states from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. But rather than internalize this lesson and embrace the deterrent force it provides the West in dealing with Iran and North Korea, the Obama administration has squandered it. By slavishly devoting itself to negotiating with Teheran and Pyongyang, it has removed the West's most effective tool for blocking nuclear proliferation.
Israel's strike exposed an inconvenient reality to the West. It showed that the Syrian, Iranian and North Korean programs are part and parcel of the same program. It is impossible to deal with any one of them in isolation. For two years, the US and its allies have ignored this truth, preferring to pretend that these programs are wholly independent entities rather than acknowledge that - evil or not - a trilateral axis of proliferation among Pyongyang, Teheran and Damascus is a going concern. As Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic tests and Iran's recent missile tests all show, the West's refusal to countenance reality has not made it go away or become less dangerous.
To the contrary, the West's preference for belief in hope and change has made things more dangerous. By ignoring the achievements of the Bush administration's policy of isolating and confronting Syria and denying the significance of its unchanged behavior, Obama and his followers are courting disaster.
The consequences of their squandering hard-won gains for regional security, freedom and stability will not be long in coming.
caroline@carolineglick.com
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443799358&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Can Syria end the Arab cold war?The gradual return of international diplomats to Damascus
signals a thaw in Syria's intractable feud with Saudi Arabia
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/14/syria-saudia-arabia-cold-war
Chris Phillips guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 14 July 2009
One by one the diplomats are returning to Damascus. In the wake of Barack Obama's decision to appoint a new ambassador to Syria, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has followed suit. However, a new Saudi ambassador represents more than a mirroring of western rapprochement with the Ba'athist regime – it is an olive branch between two states that have been locked in opposition for the last four years.
While Washington seemingly steps up its attempts to woo President Bashar al-Assad away from Iran, Saudi Arabia is working in conjunction to lure him into the so-called moderate Arab camp. With King Abdullah himself expected to visit Syria soon, could this ambassadorial appointment mark the first step in ending the latest round of the Arab cold war?
Malcolm Kerr described the 1950s and 1960s in the Middle East as an "Arab cold war" pitting Nasser's Egypt and allies against conservative Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Though the actors and ideologies have changed, some form of cold war in the Arab world has remained ever since, whether Cairo's temporary exclusion after making peace with Israel in 1979, or Syrian-Saudi-Egyptian collusion with the US against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 1991. Its latest embodiment is well known: Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, under the patronage of Iran, face allies of the US in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. While verbal attacks have dominated, with the "moderates" stoking fears of a "Shia Crescent" challenging Arab Sunni hegemony and the "radicals" lambasting Egypt's inaction during the Gaza war, violence has erupted too, notably when Saudi and Syria's proxies fought gun battles in Beirut last year.
So why is Saudi, arguably the bitterest of Syria's Arab rivals, extending a hand to end this cold conflict now? Riyadh has three priorities that promote reconciliation with Damascus. Firstly, it wishes to contain Syria's close ally, Iran, and particularly fears its nuclear programme. The Sunday Times recently reported a green light from Riyadh for an Israeli attack on Iran through Saudi airspace. Though this has not been confirmed, it is fair to say Riyadh would shed no tears over an Israeli strike. However, it would fear a domestic backlash should Hezbollah and Syria retaliate against Israel, and prying Assad from Ahmadinejad's embrace seems the best way to avoid this. The uncertainty in Tehran following the recent post-election protests has catalysed Saudi's renewed effort to detach Syria from Iran.
Another key factor is Lebanon. Saudi has long backed Saad Hariri and his supporters in the "March 14" group who emerged victorious in June's elections. Yet despite their victory Syria's allies – Hezbollah and the "March 8" group – remain powerful and some kind of compromise is needed if a functioning government is to be formed in Lebanon. Having already tried and failed to neutralise the opposition by military force, when Saudi-backed Sunni militants were swiftly defeated by Shia gunmen in May 2008, Riyadh understands it must enter dialogue with Damascus to keep the peace with Hezbollah and consolidate Hariri's electoral victory.
The final and arguably greatest priority for Riyadh is to toe Washington's line. Under George Bush, when the US's tone was confrontational, Saudi was similarly demanding of Syria. In contrast, following Obama's less antagonistic approach, Saudi and other Arab allies are softening their stance. King Abdullah of Jordan, the inventor of the "Shia Crescent" theory, has been in Damascus recently trying to sell Obama's peace initiative to Assad. Egypt has similarly invited Syria to help moderate Palestinian reconciliation talks, while Saudi's new ambassadorial appointment is the latest of several gestures of reconciliation during 2009.
So will these measures win over Syria and end the latest Arab cold war? Ostensibly Damascus is weak and in need of allies: Hezbollah is still reeling from electoral defeat and Iran is subdued domestically and isolated internationally. Moreover, US sanctions are starting to have an impact on the Syrian economy, and Obama's support is crucial if the long-occupied Golan Heights are to be recovered. Surely ditching Iran and embracing the Arab moderates is the best way to ensure the dual goals of economic development and returning territory?
Yet from a position of seeming weakness Assad is proving to be increasingly shrewd in foreign relations. He has turned the Lebanese defeat to his advantage by emphasising Syria's lack of interference – something that has won plaudits from the French president Nicolas Sarkozy among others. Similarly, a recent interview on western television has helped his British-born wife Asma present a more positive view of the country. Yet, at the same time as promoting western and Arab rapprochement, Assad has shored up the Iranian alliance by being the first leader to congratulate Ahmadinejad on his re-election.
Contrary to American and Saudi wishful thinking, it is the Iranian alliance that has given Syria its regional importance and allowed it to confront the moderate Arab states despite military and economic weakness. Assad has spoken of a desire to be the bridge or back-channel for the west to Tehran – and for this he needs to retain the alliance, not abandon it in some grand bargain for diplomatic realignment and economic investment. While his strategy of playing both sides to maximise gains for Syria might include welcoming Saudi's advances, this won't permanently end the latest Arab cold war and may ultimately make it slightly colder.

Fayyad and Syria's Regime Lie, Americans Applaud
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/14/2009
“Palestinian prime minister: Jews would be welcome in future state,” reads the headline. Now, it is well-known that the Palestinian Authority, which the aforementioned prime minister Salam Fayyad sort of heads, has always taken the view that all Jews must be removed from any future Palestinian state. This was also known to the more informed members of the audience, but modern Western intellectuals and journalists are very polite people—if you fall into the right category.
One man at least had the courage to ask if the emperor’s clothes weren’t a bit scanty:
“At the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival on Saturday, former CIA director James Woolsey noted that there are a million Arabs in Israel, accounting for one-sixth of the Israeli population, and...then asked PA (Palestinian Authority) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad: `If there is to be the rule of law in a Palestinian state, and if Jews want to live in someplace like Hebron, or anyplace else in a Palestinian state, for whatever reasons or historical attachments, why should they not be treated the same way Israeli Arabs are?’"
“Fayyad responded: `The kind of state that we want to have, that we aspire to have, is one that would definitely espouse high values of tolerance, co-existence, mutual respect and deference to all cultures, religions. No discrimination whatsoever, on any basis whatsoever. Jews to the extent they choose to stay and live in the state of Palestine will enjoy those rights and certainly will not enjoy any less rights than Israeli Arabs enjoy now in the State of Israel.’"
There is much that one can say about these two paragraphs. The Western media and academia is replete with articles about the allegedly terrible lot of Arabs in Israel. They are noticeably empty about the really terrible lot of Christians in many Muslim-majority places. (To be fair, I am not talking about the PA-ruled West Bank here.) The same applies to alleged oppression or repression in Israel and the lack of information on the very real oppression and repression where the PA rules. So already Fayyad has a head start.
What makes this especially disgusting is that leading figures in the PA recently attended a stage show at which Fatah bragged--as proof of its superiority to Hamas--of the mob murder, abetted by the PA police, of two unarmed Israeli reserve soldiers who took a wrong turn and found themselves in the middle of a PA-controlled city. The PA's response? To threaten the Italian reporter who filmed the murder.
Fayyad is lying. He knows he’s lying. The better-informed members of the audience know that he’s lying. So here’s what the audience did:
“The crowd at the Greenwald Pavilion applauded enthusiastically.”
This was followed by a fawning question by former assistant secretary of state Martin Indyk who, according to the newspaper:
“Complimented Fayyad on his plans to build up Palestinian government institutions en route to statehood, which Fayyad has set a goal of achieving in two years. He asked Fayyad if `final stage” political negotiations should also now be underway. “’
This is all pure nonsense since in fact Palestinian government institutions are a mess of corruption and incompetence while Fayyad has about as much chance of obtaining statehood in two years as (you are invited to fill in the blank with something appropriate).
“Fayyad answered that there was a risk for `this to be seen as an effort to make the occupation work better, and not to end it, and thereby doing away with any political viability that our political leadership still has.
“’What we are counting on is a meaningful political process that is capable of ending the occupation, because building the institutions of the state, by itself, is not going to end the occupation. It is a necessary condition, but it is not sufficient ....Both have to work together.”
What he’s really saying is that his idea of a peace process is that the West will force Israel to pull out of the West Bank without the PA doing anything. This is what he has put forward as strategy in his main policy speech, which those in the audience should have read and digested but presumably didn’t.
And then this exchange:
“Earlier in the interview, Fayyad said that Palestinian elections set for January should definitely be held as scheduled.
“`That is an absolute right for the people,’” he said, adding that, “`it is no secret that Hamas does not want elections.’”
“`Because they think they will lose?’” asked [columnist Tom] Friedman.
“`I don’t know of what other reason they may have,” Fayyad said.
“`That’s usually a pretty good reason not to have elections,’” Friedman said.
Ha! Ha! Very funny. But in fact everyone in the audience should know—and Friedman must know—that it was Fayyad’s boss, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA’s chief executive, who cancelled elections and unilaterally extended his term.
True, the PA cannot supervise elections in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, but Fatah which rules the PA has never even held internal elections. And some of the poll results show Hamas as being very strong in the West Bank.
The following is a true story: In the run-up to the Gaza elections which Hamas won, Fatah and PA officials approached Israel and proposed having a phony military confrontation that would give the PA an opportunity to cancel the elections. But Fayyad—who, true, was not involved in this particular incident--is allowed to get away with his supposed dedication to democracy.
Earlier in the day, Fayyad said that the way to handle Hamas—which to her credit Senator Diane Feinstein condemned at the conference--is to get Palestinians to support
“That which is done to affect a meaningful change for the better in people’s lives. I think we stand a much better chance of winning that debate than going about it in a war of words, which has typified much of the argument over the divide.”
But Fayyad knows, as should the well-informed people in the audience, that his stated policy is to make a power-sharing deal with Hamas. So if Feinstein accurately described Hamas as “a militaristic/terrorist organization that still believes Israel should be driven into the sea, that does not admit Israel’s right to exist,” why is Fayyad seeking to bring it into his government?
I know I should stop here, but it is impossible to describe the absurd credulity of the contemporary scene—Festival of Ideas, indeed!—without discussing the end of the article. Not content to apologize for one such regime, the article continues with the words of another honored speaker, Syrian ambassador to the U.S. Imad Moustapha. (The quotes were taken from an interview he just did in the Atlantic.)
Here is the representative of a vicious dictatorship, one of the world’s leading supporters of terrorism, where the state produces television series showing Jews murdering Christian children to drink their blood and helps terrorists get into Iraq to murder American soldiers (you know, working class people who don’t usually hang out in Aspen).
And what does Moustapha lecture Americans about? Why democracy, of course!
“`Democracy is an ideal state that is never attainable,’” Moustapha said,” well that’s sure true in Syria!
He goes on—a statement too priceless not to quote:
“When asked about the state of democratic freedoms in Syria, Moustapha said that U.S. policy seemed to be that the Arab people should only elect those candidates and parties supported by the U.S.” He cited the Hamas win in the Gaza Strip and the recent elections in Lebanon. Given Syria’s bloody history in Lebanon and more recent involvement in murders, this is rich, though perhaps not as rich as the Aspen audience.
In regard to U.S. policy in Syria, the Syrian ambassador said, “You need to leave us to evolve into a more democratic state from within. Don’t try to impose anything on us from without.”
Right, just let Syria go on trying to impose its interests on Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan, and Iraq “from without.”
But isn’t this what it’s all about? The United States and its friends are responsible for all the world’s problems. America should make up for its sins by either supporting its enemies, sending them checks, or at least doing nothing.
Oh, yes, did I mention applauding their lies enthusiastically?
**Prof. Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Interdisciplinary university. His new book is The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan).
You can buy his latest book The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict on Amazon.com here.
**Published in cooperation with the Gloria Center

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 15/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:20-24. Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Tough words, but Israel-Hezbollah fight unlikely to happen soon/Matt Nash, NOW Staff 14/07/09
The right credentials. Now Lebanon/ July 14, 2009
Our World: Syria's hour of triumph.By CAROLINE GLICK.Jerusalem/Post July14/09
Amin al-Hafez will continue to serve as a point of reference for Lebanese. The Daily Star 14/07/09
Can Syria end the Arab cold war?guardian.co.uk 14/07/09
Fayyad and Syria's Regime Lie, Americans Applaud. Prof. Barry Rubin 14/07/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 14/09
Suicide bomber ambushes Canadian project in Kandahar-Canadian Press
Iran Executes 13 Sunni Rebels-New York Times
Explosion causes panic in south Lebanon-Jerusalem Post
In Israel, US envoy maps peace with Syria-Christian Science Monitor - USA
Army Forms a Joint Committee With UNIFIL Over Khirbit Silim Explosion-Naharnet
Lebanon: Explosion in Hezbollah weapons depot-Ynetnews
Reports of Hezbollah arms-storage facility blowing up in South Lebanon-Now Lebanon
Conflicting Reports over Ammunition Depot Blast in South-Naharnet
Going on the offensive-Ha'aretz
Ayalon: Too early to resume Syria talks-Jerusalem Post
Edde: Let the majority rule-Future News
Allouch: the opposition demands hinder cabinet formation-Future News
Terro: Damascus and opposition hampering cabinet formation-Future News
Gemayel: The majority must carry its responsibilities-Future News
Zahra: who won the elections govern-Future News
The note of formation and rhythm of obstruction-Future News
Jumblatt: less advices and more real support for PM Hariri-Future News
Berry: Cabinet formation is not difficult-Future News
1st Meeting between Jumblat, Wiam Wahhab in 4 Years-Naharnet
Father Drugged His 2 Children to Death Before Trying to Kill Himself-Naharnet
Former PM Amin al-Hafez Laid to Rest in Tripoli-Naharnet
Khalil from Rabiyeh: Opposition Wants Active Participation-Naharnet
No Breakthrough in Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Ban Urges World to Encourage Development of Political Maturity in Lebanon-Naharnet
Saniora from Baabda: I Am Sure that Hariri Taking Careful Steps-Naharnet
Berri Reiterates Need for Discretion in Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Pakradounian after Meeting Hariri: We Are Ready to Participate in Cabinet-Naharnet
Jumblat Warns of Israeli 'Revenge;' Calls for Adherence to Taef-Naharnet
Arslan: We Have a Parliamentary Majority and a Popular Majority-Naharnet
Pardoned Youssef Shaaban Describes President as a 'Hero'-Naharnet
Gemayel: Opposition Continues to Obstruct Cabinet Shape-Up-Naharnet
Aoun: Those who Criticize Proportional Representation Don't Want the Country to Rise-Naharnet
Former Lebanese PM Amin al-Hafez dies at age 83-Daily Star
Rivals dig in heels over cabinet formation-Daily Star
Tueni rejects granting opposition veto power-Daily Star
Interim social affairs minister meets with Sfeir-Daily Star
Saudi envoy calls for cabinet formed 'inside Lebanon'-Daily Star
'Minimum terms, maximum cooperation' key to cabinet-Daily Star
Sleiman highlights 'pivotal' Maronite role in Lebanon-Daily Star
Siniora urges unity in face of Israeli threat-Daily Star
Despite saber rattling, analysts see little chance of war with Israel-Daily Star
Beirut Stock Exchange down 6.1 percent.By Regional Press Network (RPN)
Unjustly jailed Palestinian declares Sleiman a 'hero'-Daily Star
Masnaa border crossing sees heavy congestion-Daily Star
Jezzine fire destroys forest, fruit and olive trees-Daily Star
To beat the heat, try one of Hamra’s ice cream parlors-Daily Star
A mecca or a kindergarten?: Impressions of Lebanon are as varied as its visitors-Daily Star
Iraqi judiciary ‘doing fine,’ says visiting top judge-Daily Star
Irresponsible solutions to summer heat only compound problem-Daily Star
'Further unrest can lead to Iran's disintegration'-Daily Star

Explosion causes panic in south Lebanon
© AP/2009-07-14
BEIRUT (AP) - A series of explosions in an abandoned building near Lebanon's tense border with Israel was caused by a fire in a Hezbollah weapons depot, a Lebanese security official said Tuesday. The blasts caused no casualties, but took place on the third anniversary of the monthlong summer war between Israel and the militant group and triggered widespread panic among residents, some of whom mistook it for an Israeli air raid.The depot in the village of Khirbet Silim, about 10 miles north of the border, was house d in an abandoned building and was likely used during the 2006 war, added the official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. The series of explosions caused a huge fire in the building and Lebanese soldiers and firefighters sealed the area off to keep journalists away. Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said UNIFIL was investigating the incident and had not yet determined the cause of the explosions. Hezbollah officials were not immediately available for comment. Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah fought a fierce but inconclusive war in 2006. A U.N.-brokered cease-fire that ended the fighting put the zone between the border with Israel and the Litani River to the north under control of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers. The region has been relatively quiet since although Hezbollah has boasted that it has returned to border areas and is suspected of maintaining secret weapons stashes there.

Reports of Hezbollah arms-storage facility blowing up in South Lebanon
July 14, 2009 NOW Staff
NOW’s South Lebanon correspondent reported that underground explosions were heard Tuesday morning starting at 8:00 a.m. between the villages of Khirbet As-Silm, Bir As-Salasil and As-Sultaniyeh. A second source told NOW that the explosions were the result of an underground Hezbollah arms storage facility blowing up.
The facility allegedly contained artillery, rocket-propelled grenades as well as machineguns used by Hezbollah fighters in the 2006 July War to face Israeli advances toward the villages of Ghandourieh and Froon in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the reports, saying that the explosions heard were of cluster bombs that were dropped by Israel during the July War and were collected by residents of the area. Hezbollah members surrounded the area to keep civilians out of the danger zone, while the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces deployed to investigate the cause of the explosions.No information has yet been confirmed.

Conflicting Reports over Ammunition Depot Blast in South
Naharnet/A series of blasts rocked an ammunition depot in Khirbit Silim neighborhood in southern Lebanon, local media said Tuesday. The Voice of Lebanon radio said the explosions were heard shortly after 7 am in al-Dabsheh hills overlooking Khirbit Silim south of the Litani River. It said the blasts were heard coming from an abandoned building, adding that security forces were investigating the incident. MTV television, for its part, said the explosions heard in Khirbit Silim were the result of an ammunition depot blast. While one media report said the blasts were the result of leftover bombs from the July 2006 Lebanon-Israel war, another quoted security sources as saying that the arms cache belonged to Hizbullah. It said it contained artillery shells, missiles and automatic weapons. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 11:02

Hizbullah arms depot explodes in southern Lebanon
By AP AND JPOST.COM STAFF
A series of explosions on Tuesday in an abandoned building near Lebanon's tense border with Israel was the result of a fire in a Hizbullah weapons depot, according to a Lebanese security official. There were no casualties in the blasts, though widespread panic was caused among residents, some of whom mistook it for an Israeli air raid.
The depot in the village of Khirbet Silim, about 10 miles north of the border, was housed in an abandoned building and was likely used during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, added the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. Lebanese soldiers and firefighters sealed the area off after the explosions to keep journalists away.
The Lebanese army issued a statement saying only that the area was sealed after an explosion in an abandoned building and that a joint committee from the military and UN peacekeepers was investigating. Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said UNIFIL was investigating the incident and had not yet determined the cause of the explosions.
Hizbullah officials were not immediately available for comment.

Army Forms a Joint Committee With UNIFIL Over Khirbit Silim Explosion
Naharnet/A press communiqué issued by Lebanon's military on Tuesday said that a joint committee has been formed by the Lebanese armed forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to investigate the explosion inside an abandoned building on the outskirts of Khirbit Silim in the Bint Jbeil region on the same morning. "Following the explosion on the outskirts of Khirbit Silim, the military surrounded the location," the communiqué said. An army spokesman told Agence France Presse (AFP), adding that no casualties were reported. Local television reported the depot contained rockets, automatic weapons and ammunition belonging to the Shiite militant group. "The blast occurred in an abandoned house in the village of Khirbit Silim," 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border with Israel, the spokesman said. Along with much of south Lebanon, the village is considered to be Hizbullah country. The Lebanese army cordoned off the area and did not allow reporters access to the site. "This weapons depot dates back to the July War," the army spokesman told AFP on condition of anonymity. "There was no one but Hizbullah in this area." U.N. reports on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 34-day war in July and August 2006 between Hizbullah and Israel, regularly express concern over the continued presence of Hizbullah arms in south Lebanon. The conflict began after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid. It destroyed much of Lebanon's major infrastructure and killed close to 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mainly soldiers. Hizbullah has refused to disarm although U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 reaffirms the need for militias in Lebanon to turn in their weapons. Hizbullah argues that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against Israel. Lebanese soldiers deployed in south Lebanon in the wake of the 2006 war for the first time in 30 years.(AFP and Naharnet) Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 17:00

Qassem Stresses No Politicization of Constitutional Council
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Naeem Qassem expressed his hope that the Constitutional Council would behave in a responsible and objective manner and remain far removed from any form of politicization. Following his meeting on Tuesday with former Member of Parliament Hassan Yaqoub, who is contesting the June 7 election, Qassem said: "When the opposition agreed to follow up on the issue of the election outcome as is, and that includes the right to contest, it did so to only to provide the example for making this experience a success." He went on to add that from a legal point of view the Constitutional Council should do its job "as per the applied legal balances, we want nothing but the law."
Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 19:24

Israel Establishes An Observation Chamber Close to Kfar Shouba
Naharnet/An Israeli force established an observation chamber next to a military location it established earlier two weeks ago close to the Kfar Shouba water pool. Lebanese army units in and around the area were placed on alert placing their armor in direct confrontation with Israeli forces. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) intervened and prevented a direct military confrontation between both sides. Israeli forces later withdrew after ensuring that the observation chamber was moved to their military locations inside the occupied Shebaa Farms. Exchanged contacts between UNIFIL and the Lebanese officers are currently underway to diffuse the situation. As Lebanese army units and UNIFIL forces remain on full alert. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 18:46

Taliban target Canadian model village project in Kandahar province
Tue Jul 14, 9:
By Dene Moore, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Taliban insurgents have targeted a high-profile Canadian project in Kandahar province with a suicide attack and an ambush.
A suicide bomber blew his vehicle up at an Afghan National Army outpost outside the village of Deh-e-Bagh on Monday night and a firefight ensued with armed insurgents.
A small team of Canadian soldiers mentoring the Afghan soldiers were on site, but none were injured and a Canadian military official said they did not engage in the Afghan army's firefight with the attackers. "The vehicle hit the main gate of the ANA checkpoint and detonated," Maj. Mario Couture said Tuesday. "There were other insurgents using small-arms fire." Couture said one Afghan soldier was killed and seven others injured, but the Canadian-trained Afghan soldiers repelled the attack, which never reached the village. "There were no civilian casualties," Couture said. Couture said the attack came as no surprise to the Canadian and Afghan military because of the high profile of the model village project.
he project was unveiled last month by Canadian Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, top commander in Kandahar province, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the new commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Canadian military officials hope it will be just the first of many villages, where it is believed reconstruction and the prospect of employment will win the support of Afghans caught in the crossfire of war.
The village, south of Kandahar city in the Dand district of the province, was financed by Canada but the work refurbishing the bombed-out district centre and an irrigation canal was undertaken by locals. Work is continuing in the village, which was expected to be completed later this summer. In unveiling the project, Vance said the model village "is counter-insurgency." "In the town of Deh-e-Bagh, the insurgents mean nothing. They're irrelevant. What we need to do is just spread that more and more." The village project did indeed attract the attention of insurgents, who attacked just before 8 p.m. local time Monday night. "Because it's such a threat to the insurgency it makes it a likely target," Couture said. "Is this a surprise? No. Are they going to try again? Most likely. But the place is well-defended."
Despite the death of an Afghan soldier, Couture said the Afghans' military mentors were pleased with the ability of the ANA to repel the attackers and keep them from the village. The army post that was hit is about 700 metres from the outskirts of Deh-e-Bagh. "Overall, the ANA troops did what they were supposed to be doing to protect the local population," Couture said.
"To us, it's a clear sign that the ANA is getting to a level of professionalism.... It's a sign that things are progressing." The Canadian mentoring teams have been working with the Afghan National Army for several years, and are increasingly serving as backup and oversight to the Afghans as they prepare to one day take over responsibility for security of their own nation - most immediately for the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections in August.

Ban Urges World to Encourage Development of Political Maturity in Lebanon
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said that he was optimistic about the future of Lebanon and urged the international community to encourage "development of political maturity" in the country. "All the developments … in Lebanon have been encouraging, and the whole international community, including myself as United Nations secretary-general, should support and encourage such ongoing development of political maturity," Ban told reporters in New York before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit there. Ban also said that the Lebanese national unity cabinet should be quickly formed. "The national government should be formed as soon as possible with all the parties participating there. This is what I have been discussing with the Lebanese leaders. And I am optimistic about the future of Lebanon," Ban said in response to a question. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:13

Gemayel: Opposition Continues to Obstruct Cabinet Shape-Up
Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel accused the opposition Monday of continuing to obstruct efforts to form a government and cautioned against a political stalemate in light of Israeli threats against Lebanon. Premier-designate Saad Hariri "should propose the formula that he sees most appropriate to the opposition," Gemayel said after talks with Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Gabriele Checchia."If they reject it, then the majority can govern and those who wish to participate from the opposition are free to do so," he added.
Gemayel cautioned that Lebanon must not be left in political limbo "especially in light of (Israeli PM Benjamin) Netanyahu's dangerous positions." "We have to take responsibility and the opposition can only assume its natural position in parliament as an overseer," he added. He said the majority "was prepared to give guarantees for good and excellent bilateral Lebanese-Syrian ties. It is also prepared to give guarantees to all the Lebanese teams."For his part, Checchia praised Hariri's efforts to form a cabinet. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 16:35

No Breakthrough in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/There still exists a lack of consensus among the various political leaders over a power-sharing deal amidst intensive meetings by PM-designate Saad Hariri for the formation of a national unity government.The political scene remains the same as the daily An Nahar quoted political and parliamentary sources as saying that government formation seems to be a "long process." Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi told An Nahar in remarks published Tuesday that the Cabinet lineup is "moving in a vicious circle." Meanwhile, As Safir newspaper, citing political sources, said new ideas have been discussed to facilitate government formation. "There is a possibility that the proposals suggested could lead to a breakthrough," one source said. Pan-Arab al-Hayat daily for its part said channels remain open between Qoreitem and the Opposition. It quoted a high-ranking political source as saying that Hariri maintains contacts with Hizbullah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in this regard. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 11:11

Saniora from Baabda: I Am Sure that Hariri Taking Careful Steps
Naharnet/Caretaker Premier Fouad Saniora put his trust in the PM-designate on Monday and said Saad Hariri was fully capable of forming the upcoming government.
Saniora also told reporters at Baabda palace that he discussed with President Michel Suleiman latest developments in the region and efforts to improve security during the tourism season. Asked about efforts to form a government, Saniora said: "We should not tackle the issue (in the media). The issue is within the jurisdiction of the premier-designate. I am sure that … he would study (the matter) well and coordinate with involved (officials) before taking any step.""Why would he resign," the caretaker PM wondered when a reporter asked him if Hariri should resign if he faces obstruction in formation of the cabinet. Saniora's visit to Suleiman on Monday came on the 3rd anniversary of the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah. He said despite differences of opinion, the Lebanese "succeeded in preventing Israel from emerging victorious and thwarted its plans." Saniora also told reporters that during the 34-day war that started on July 12, "Lebanon succeeded in carrying out the largest rescue operation and the biggest reconstruction effort in its (the war's) aftermath." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:54

1st Meeting between Jumblat, Wiam Wahhab in 4 Years
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat met his rival Wiab Wahhab, head of the Tawheed Movement, the first such meeting in four years. Local media on Tuesday said the meeting at Jumblat's house in Beirut's Clemenceau neighborhood took place at 7 pm Monday. The PSP said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the meeting was part of the "openness to dialogue," stressing on "turning the page on the past." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 09:43

Jumblat Warns of Israeli 'Revenge;' Calls for Adherence to Taef
Naharnet/MP Walid Jumblat said Lebanon must remain alert to the Israeli dangers warning that Israel has not accepted its defeat in the Second Lebanon War and will seek "revenge one way or the other.""Despite all the divisions or disagreements in explaining the underlying causes of the war and its circumstances, it remains (a fact) that the resistance scored a victory in the face of the Israeli occupation," Jumblat told al-Anbaa weekly newspaper. "On the third anniversary of the July war, we must remain vigilant and alert because Israel will not accept defeat," Jumblat. "It will seek revenge one way or the other to strike the resistance and the Lebanese steadfastness," he said. Jumblat pointed to Israel's daily breaches of Lebanon's sovereignty and of U.N. Resolution 1701. The Druze leader said Lebanon must return "the Taef accord, which lays the foundations for political partnership and power-sharing and calls for distinguished Lebanese-Syrian ties."He also called for adherence to a truce agreement with Israel "under which the state of war is frozen" and for the continued "rejection of normalization and settlement with Israel.""Let Lebanon be a model state for Arabs who signed peace deals with Israel serving only to weaken the Arab world and limit its ability to confront" the Israeli threats.
On another note, Jumblat said recent the reconciliation in the mountain "bolstered the positive climates," which have been prevailing in Lebanon. He voiced hope for "a broader reconciliation" and said the future carried "international and regional changes requiring an in-depth analysis due to their possible impact on Lebanon."  On the government formation, Jumblat criticized members of the majority and the opposition alike for "dictating to the premier-designate what to do and for inventing cabinet formulas.""He does not need bids as much as he needs real political support from all sides to facilitate the formation," Jumblat added. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 17:43

Pakradounian after Meeting Hariri: We Are Ready to Participate in Cabinet
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met Monday night a Tashnag delegation comprised of the Armenian party's Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian and MP Hagop Pakradounian. "We expressed willingness to facilitate the tasks of the premier," Pakradounian said following the meeting. "We as Tashnag and as an Armenian parliamentary bloc stressed our readiness to participate in the government. This is our right," he added. Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 20:59

Berri Reiterates Need for Discretion in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated on Monday that "total discretion" was the best way to succeed at forming a new cabinet. Following his unannounced visit to Baabda palace, Berri said: "Discretion is the best way to reach goals." Last Wednesday, Berri made the same statement. But he also added that the Lebanese should be optimistic in order to find results. On Monday, Berri discussed with President Michel Suleiman latest developments and efforts to form the new government. The speaker told al-Akhbar daily in remarks published Tuesday that his visit to Baabda was the "start of additional efforts to quickly form the government and work to push things forward." He told the newspaper that he was waiting Premier-designate Saad Hariri to present a full cabinet formula, reiterating that government formation "will not be difficult." "We are still within the normal timeframe and we are waiting for a formula from the prime minister-designate," Berri said. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 08:19

Khalil from Rabiyeh: Opposition Wants Active Participation
Naharnet/A Hizbullah delegation headed by MP Hussein Khalil met Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun in Rabiyeh on Tuesday. Also attended the meeting were Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa and Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil. "The Opposition wants an active participation in the government," Khalil told reporters following the meeting.
Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 12:19

Former PM Amin al-Hafez Laid to Rest in Tripoli
Naharnet/Former Lebanese Prime Minister Amin al-Hafez was laid to rest on Tuesday a day after he died at the age of 83 from an undisclosed chronic illness. His coffin, draped in the Lebanese flag, was transported with a police convoy from Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut to his hometown of Tripoli in the north. Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, who led the burial prayers at Tripoli's Teenal mosque, described al-Hafez as a "national and Arab symbol who worked hard for his nation."Al-Hafez was picked by then President Suleiman Franjieh to form a government in 1973. However, Sunni religious leaders who opposed Franjieh refused to recognize the appointment. Al-Hafez was forced to resign about two months later. Al-Hafez later served as member of parliament, representing Tripoli until 1996. Caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Saniora declared a three-day mourning period for al-Hafez, during which flags at government institutions will be flown at half-staff. Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 13:52

Father Drugged His 2 Children to Death Before Trying to Kill Himself
Naharnet/A father has drugged his two children – aged 5 and 7 – to death before trying to kill himself by lighting his apartment on fire. Police identified the killer as Muwaffaq Deeb al-Qbaissi, 50, a mechanical engineer who had worked in the U.S. for 20 years only to return home four years ago. He remained jobless throughout the four years. Qbaissi is divorced from his wife, Wisal Maamoun, who is the mother of the victims -- Adam, 5, and Omar, 7. The daily al-Liwaa on Tuesday said Qbaissi apparently committed the crime to take revenge on his wife.
According to police, the tragic incident took place Sunday evening, but the information was only revealed early Monday when Qbaissi's brother realized something was wrong after he got disconnected from a call with his brother. The brother rushed to the apartment in Dawhit Aramoun southeast of Beirut only to find the two boys lying dead on bed, hands tied together, with their father beside them trying in vain to breathe after setting the house on fire. Police and coroner officials, who were called to the scene, said Qbaissi drugged his boys with at least five pills each of Lexotanil and Stilonox sedatives dissolved in fruit juice. An Nahar newspaper, citing preliminary investigation, said Qbaissi -- who suffers psychological disorders, including hallucinations -- and his ex-wife were facing a lot of problems as well as several pending lawsuits. The mother was given guardianship over the boys who were allowed to visit their father twice a week. An Nahar quoted sources involved in the investigation as saying that Qbaissi claimed he did not mean to kill his children "but wanted to calm down the boys who seemed tensed." Beirut, 14 Jul 09, 08:12

Arslan: We Have a Parliamentary Majority and a Popular Majority
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan summed up Monday the situation in Lebanon as one of "two simultaneous majorities," one was the parliamentary majority and the other was the opposition's popularity. "The solution that the opposition is proposing is for both majorities to coexist and cohabitate inside a single executive authority. "This suggestion embodies a 'Lebanese' solution to this Lebanese political problem," Arslan said following his election as head of the Lebanese Democratic Party. He said the right path for Lebanon is to "adhere to the resistance as an essential deterrent force, to national unity and to a strategic relationship with Syria." Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 19:08

Aoun: Those who Criticize Proportional Representation Don't Want the Country to Rise
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun reiterated on Monday that he holds onto the choice of proportional representation in the new cabinet. Aoun also stressed that he backs PM-designate Saad Hariri and wants the new government to succeed "because we want to build the country and we reject the formation of the cabinet in Arab countries."
In answering those who criticize proportionality, the MP said: "They only crave for power and don't want the country to rise."
Beirut, 13 Jul 09, 13:16

The right credentials
July 14, 2009
Now Lebanon
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (L) meeting with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (R) at the former's residence in an undisclosed location, late June 18, 2009. (AFP/HO/Hezbollah Press)
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, according to one Lebanese daily, recently discussed the 2006 July War with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. As-Safir reported Jumblatt as saying that Nasrallah had “admonished” him for his stand against the conflict. “He has the right to do so,” the enigmatic Druze leader said, “but the most important thing is that we decided to turn a new page, build trust, and foster dialogue and reconciliation.”
Fair enough, but the PSP boss should have added that, even though he conceded Nasrallah’s right to “admonish” him, it should neither be seen as vindication of Hezbollah’s actions that summer, nor should Jumblatt’s stance be interpreted as in any way morally wrong.
The 2006 July War has become a benchmark for measuring one’s Arab credentials. For there is a corrosive school of thought that posits that if you are not with Hezbollah you are against it; that if you were angered by the party’s role in the war, you were, somehow, “with” Israel and harbored treasonous thoughts.
It doesn’t stop there. If you, like many Lebanese, wish to see Hezbollah disarm because you believe, not unreasonably, that instruments of death should by and large be kept under state control, you are at best ignorant, heartless and out of touch with the struggle of the people of South Lebanon; at worst you want to bend to Israeli demands and have no objection to Lebanon being dominated by a demonic troika of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. And finally, if you object to the whole concept of the Resistance and its right to “resist” because you might believe the time for such an entity has passed, then you are falling short in your duty as an Arab in the eternal fight against the Zionist entity.
These assumptions have been used to both define March 8 and tar March 14. The March 8 coalition hides the fact it really has nothing to offer except obstruction and conflict behind a nebulous aura that is a quirky alliance of Arab and Lebanese nationalism and religious zealotry. On one level, it sells itself as the bastion of wholesome Arab solidarity, while March 14, the bloc of choice for the uncaring bourgeoisie, is a tool of modern imperialist expansionism with a healthy dollop of corruption and greed thrown into the mix.
The reality is different. Jumblatt nailed it when he railed against the war back in July 2006, before Hezbollah’s spin doctors stepped in and gave us the Divine Victory. The war was a reckless act of adventurism, the blame for which lies fairly and squarely on Hezbollah’s doorstep. That the party by all accounts acquitted itself admirably on the battlefield does not in any way excuse its lack of judgment, nor for that matter its belief in its right to take Lebanon to war with an enemy it claims to know so well, an enemy whose ruthlessness was demonstrated in no uncertain terms over 30 bloody days. Lebanon didn’t need to lose 1,000 sons and daughters just for Hezbollah to prove it wouldn’t roll over.
So where does all the tub-thumping leave us today? March 8 says it wants to work with March 14 in a government of national unity, so there clearly cannot be that huge an ideological chasm. Therefore the time has come for March 8 to stop ramming its Arab credentials down our throats, stop playing Spot the Zionist Imperialist and start working toward burnishing the Lebanese credentials it claims to have. Lebanon not only needs a government, it needs a government that will respect Lebanon’s constitution and reflect its democratic process.
As Khairallah Khairallah said in his most recent column on this site “March 14 does not need a certificate of patriotism or decency… [it] won the latest elections [because it represented] independence, freedom and sovereignty.”
Surely those are good enough credentials to be going with for now?

Tough words, but Israel-Hezbollah fight unlikely to happen soon
Matt Nash, NOW Staff , July 13, 2009
Hard-line Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently warned all of Lebanon would pay the price should Hezbollah join the government and attack the Jewish state. (AFP/POOL/Atef Safadi)
As cabinet consultations continue, two things appear certain: Hezbollah will participate in the Lebanese government – whether or not March 8 gets veto power – and Israel will have a longer list of targets should it decide to strike Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that if Hezbollah joins the cabinet, the whole country would be responsible for any attacks on the Jewish state, reiterating comments he made at the end of June during a closed-door cabinet session.
The biggest threat of these words turning into fatal action in the short term seems to be an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Hezbollah, which maintains very close ties to the Islamic Republic, has not said directly how it would respond to such an attack, but Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, said in August 2008 that "The first shot fired from the Zionist entity toward Iran will be met by a response of 11,000 rockets in the direction of the Zionist entity. This is what military leaders in the Islamic republic have confirmed," according to the National News Agency. He did not elaborate where the rockets would be fired from, though many analysts expect Hezbollah would respond from Lebanon.
In fact, in an interview aired Saturday on Al-Jazeera, released Israeli prisoner Samir Kantar said Hezbollah “will not leave Iran, one of the pillars of Islam, alone without intervening” if Israel attacked it.
Israel’s threat that all of Lebanon would be responsible for Hezbollah attacks likely means more widespread targeting of the country’s infrastructure, according to Timur Goksel, a security consultant and former spokesman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in South Lebanon.
“They are preparing the ground to attack infrastructure targets more than they did last time [during the 2006 July war],” he told NOW. “And I know that some of the [Israeli] military in the 2006 war, when things didn’t go as they wanted, wanted to hit those targets, but, I think they were stopped by their own politicians. So that’s what they are preparing the ground for.”
There has been much speculation lately about the likelihood of Israel making a move against Iranian nuclear facilities, which Israel and the West suspect Iran is using to make an atomic bomb, while Tehran maintains that it is enriching uranium to meet domestic energy needs.
And with hardliners in power in both Israel and Iran, the antagonism between them is likely to continue simmering.
Iran recently affirmed the disputed re-election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who last week vowed to continue the foreign policy he pursued during his first term, which included harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric. The June poll led to the most serious internal unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, and some argue that a war would go a long way toward forging unity at a fractious time.
Indeed, the Israeli government, led by a mostly right-wing coalition, is more likely to use force to maintain Israeli military supremacy in the region. In an interview with the weekly magazine of Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Israeli National Security Council chief Uzi Arad said of Iran, "The defensive might we have must be improved and become tremendously powerful, and create a situation in which no one will dare to realize the ability to harm us. And if they do dare, we will exact a full price, so that they too will not survive."
US Vice President Joe Biden meanwhile raised eyebrows earlier this month in a televised interview when he said Israel is a “sovereign nation” that can choose for itself whether or not to make a pre-emptive move against Iran, indicating the US would not prevent such action.
Israel’s hard-line Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quick to jump on Biden’s comments, calling them “logical” and saying, “sometimes there are disputes between friends, but at the end of the day the decision is ours,” according to the Associated Press.
However, US President Barack Obama a few days later told CNN that Washington had “absolutely not” given Israel a “green light” on a strike.
Obama is seeking engagement with Tehran, which would certainly be compromised by an Israeli strike. Furthermore, Israel seems to want more than tacit approval from Washington. A report from January published in the New York Times said Israel asked former US President George W. Bush for bunker-buster bombs to hit underground nuclear facilities and additional refueling planes in order to send a larger force to Iran to conduct such a raid. Israel also reportedly asked for rights to fly through Iraqi airspace.
Bush denied the request, a policy choice Obama seems highly unlikely to overturn. That said, Israel could pull off a raid without the refueling equipment and a recent report from the Times said Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israel using the kingdom’s airspace to reach its regional arch-rival. Both Israeli and Saudi officials denied the report.
Israel attacked an Iraqi nuclear facility unilaterally in the 1980s and took out what it said was a nuclear site in Syria in late 2007, so moving against Iran would not be outside the realm of possibility, but Washington, at least in the near term, seems to oppose an attack. The peace process is already straining US-Israel relations, and defying Obama’s wishes appears an unlikely Israeli option for now.
But if Iran continues uranium enrichment while rejecting Western attempts to monitor and control the process, a strike, whether the US likes it or not, cannot be ruled out and would seem to have disastrous consequences for Lebanon.

Rivals dig in heels over cabinet formation
Hariri 'not willing' to give opposition veto power
By Elias Sakr /-Daily Star staff
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: With the efforts to form a government stalled, the March 14 Forces reiterated on Monday their refusal to grant the opposition veto power in the next Cabinet, while Speaker Nabih Berri repeated his demands for "real partnership in decision making." Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun reiterated on Monday his demand for proportional representation inside the new cabinet.
Tackling Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's proposals regarding the upcoming cabinet, Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat told The Daily Star on Monday that Hariri was willing to grant the opposition "effective participation in decision-making but no veto power while granting President Michel Sleiman the balancing vote."
"The March 14 win in the June 7 elections by a majority of parliamentary seats should be reflected in the Cabinet by being granted a majority of seats as well," Fatfat said.
Fatfat said Hariri's latest discussions focused on the formation of the upcoming national-unity cabinet, however, deliberations didn't tackle the government's make-up.
When asked about the divergence in statements between Berri and Aoun, Fatfat underscored that the opposition was united in its demand for veto power.
"Given the latest statements by opposition figures. including [Marada Movement leader] Sleiman Franjieh and [former Minister] Wiam Wahhab demanding the blocking third, I assume they are distributing roles," Fatfat said.
Fatfat stressed that granting the opposition veto power contradicted the Taif Accord, adding that the opposition was trying to "reimpose the expired Doha agreement."
"Qatari officials announced that the Doha agreement had expired, but nonetheless the opposition is still trying to enforce it rather than implementing the Taif Accord," he said.
Conversely, sources close to Berri told The Daily Star on Monday that the speaker was calling for a national-unity cabinet that guaranteed partnership.
The source added that under no circumstances did the speaker demand veto power during discussions to form a cabinet.
The source said Berri highlighted during talks with President Michel Sleiman on Monday the need to form a national-unity cabinet that guarantees real partnership in decision making.
The source stressed that Berri would facilitate "through all possible means" Hariri's task to reach an agreement on the structure of the next cabinet. "Berri's only demand is that the government make-up ensures real partnership among Lebanese groups," the source said.
The source added that Berri discussed with Sleiman on Monday the latest developments on the Lebanese political scene, prior to the president's two-day participation in the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Egypt. Following his unannounced visit to the Baabda Palace, Berri told reporters on Monday that "total discretion" was the best way to succeed at forming the upcoming cabinet. "Discretion is the best way to reach goals," Berri said.
Also on Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora held talks with Sleiman. Siniora told reporters that the formation of the cabinet was Hariri and Sleiman's responsibility. "We should not tackle the issue [in the media]," he said. Meanwhile, Aoun reiterated on Monday his demand for proportional representation, however he denied that the opposition was seeking to obstruct the government decision-making process. "We don't seek obstruction in the next government and such prejudices by some March 14 figures are a distortion of the truth," Aoun told reporters. "If the premier-designate faces obstruction in the upcoming cabinet, he can resign from his post," Aoun added.
Aoun, who also voiced support for Hariri, said he hoped for the cabinet formation would succeed "away from foreign intervention." Commenting on March 14 groups' criticism of his calls for proportional representation, Aoun said figures of the alliance "only craved power at the expense of the country's growth." Meanwhile, Phalange Party head Amin Gemayel announced on Monday that the parliamentary majority can form a government "on its own if the opposition rejects Hariri's proposals."Following talks with Italian Ambassador Gabriel Checchia, Gemayel said "the majority can govern alone, however the participation of any opposition group is welcome."He added that the parliamentary majority was willing to "provide Lebanese parties with certain guarantees and to ensure special relations between Lebanon and Syria."Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed on Monday that both the opposition and the majority should refrain from tying Hariri to any conditions regarding the cabinet make-up.
He also called on parties to voice political support for Hariri by "toning down their rhetoric" about the deliberations. Jumblatt added that the government make-up should be based on partnership according to principles of the Taif Accord. Concerning Lebanese-Syrian ties, Jumblatt called for "special relations with Syria given that the two neighbors refrain from interfering in each other domestic affairs." President Bashar Assad told visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Syria didn't set any pre-conditions on the cabinet's formation according to the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat. Citing a high-ranking French official, the paper said Assad dealt "openly" with issues raised by Kouchner regarding Lebanon. "Assad believed that obstacles delaying the advancement in Lebanese-Syrian ties no longer exist, given that Syria maintains communications with all Lebanese groups."

Tueni rejects granting opposition veto power
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: MP Nayla Tueni said Monday she would not vote in favor of the new cabinet if it adopted stances contradictory to the March 14 political platform that was announced prior to the 2009 parliamentary polls. "The majority should support Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and refrain from granting the opposition the obstructing-third vote," she told Future News television station. Tueni stressed the necessity of holding constructive dialogue and forming an effective cabinet, something that will "contribute to the establishment of the state." Commenting on the third anniversary of the summer 2006 war with Israel, Tueni said: "The lesson that should be learned from the war is the need to have a strong Lebanese state, which has the exclusive power over waging war or not." She added that Hizbullah should give up its weapons to the state and "allow its members to join the Lebanese Armed Forces." The young lawmaker also accused "certain Lebanese parties of relying on Damascus to make political decisions." - The Daily Star

Interim social affairs minister meets with Sfeir
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Mario Aoun met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on Monday at the prelate's summer seat in the northern mountainous village of Diman. Speaking to reporters, Aoun called for the formation of a new cabinet "as soon as possible," adding that he hoped "it will be similar to the current one, which is functional." Almost all Lebanese factions are represented in the current Cabinet, which become a caretaker government on June 21. The interim Cabinet includes 13 ministers for the parliamentary majority, 11 for the opposition, three for President Michel Sleiman and three independents. Aoun also expressed hope that a rapprochement among Christian political parties would be reached under the auspices of Sfeir. - The Daily Star

Sleiman highlights 'pivotal' Maronite role in Lebanon
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman, in a meeting with a delegation from the Maronite General Council at Baabda Palace, highlighted the Maronites' "pivotal" role in Lebanon. Sleiman said that in a religiously diverse country such as Lebanon, "interaction among various religious groups creates a beautiful dynamic." "Lebanese sects should not struggle among themselves, otherwise Lebanon will lose its main characteristic which is diversity, a key property which makes our country a model and a need to the world and to dialogue between religions and cultures." - The Daily Star

Saudi envoy calls for cabinet formed 'inside Lebanon'
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Assiri expressed hope Monday that the Lebanese would form a government "inside Lebanon," without foreign interference. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with caretaker Culture Minister and newly elected MP Tammam Salam, the ambassador stressed that his country supported any effort to safeguard Lebanon's unity and stability. Salam in turn said that no one could deny that the regional situation influences Lebanon, "especially when an important political process is taking place," in reference to the new cabinet formation process. - The Daily Star

Former Lebanese PM Amin al-Hafez dies at age 83
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Former Lebanese Premier Amin al-Hafez, who served a turbulent two-month term in 1973 before he was forced to resign, died Monday. He was 83. Caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora declared a three-day mourning period for Hafez, during which flags at state institutions will be flown at half-mast. Hafez died in a Beirut hospital after a long-running battle with an undisclosed chronic illness, medical officials said. A Sunni Muslim, he was picked by President Suleiman Franjieh to form a government in 1973. Although the prime minister's post is reserved for a Sunni under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, Sunni religious leaders who opposed Franjieh refused to recognize the appointment.
Hafez chose to resign about two months later. The crisis, along with a battle between Lebanese troops and Palestinian guerrillas that year, contributed to the tensions that burst into all-out Civil War in 1975. Hafez also served as an MP, representing his hometown of Tripoli from 1960 to 1996. Head of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission for more than 30 years, Hafez attended the United Nations meeting that concluded in the declaration of Resolution 425 calling upon Israel to withdraw for occupied Lebanese territories. Commenting on Hafez's death, Premier-designate Saad Hariri stressed Monday that he was a patriotic man who served Lebanon's interests as well as the Arab cause. "The Lebanese people remember Prime Minister Hafez's efforts as an MP and head of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission during which he bravely faced Israeli threats and defended the Palestinian cause," Hariri said. Hariri also expressed his "sincere condolences" to Hafez's family and Tripoli's residents. Hafez will be buried in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli Tuesday. - The Daily Star, with AP

Siniora urges unity in face of Israeli threat
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that the Lebanese, despite "divergence in political viewpoints," succeeded in defeating Israel through their "unity, solidarity and steadfastness." In statement to mark the third anniversary of the summer 2006 war with Israel, Siniora called for "strengthening cooperation and coexistence to confront Israeli threats."
Siniora added that the cabinet was capable of reconstruction with the help of Arab and foreign states.
"Israel is embracing a far more extremist behavior through rejecting the Arab Peace Initiative and holding to its previous policies, which are dangerous to Lebanon and the region," Siniora said.
Israel's 34-day military assault on Lebanon between July 12 and August 14 2006 killed 1,191 Lebanese, most of them civilians, and wounded over 4,400. Israeli attacks also killed five peacekeepers serving as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The hostilities left a further one million Lebanese displaced. A total of 119 Israeli soldiers and 44 civilians were also killed during the conflict, according to Israeli counts.
In a separate statement to mark the war's anniversary, former Premier and newly-elected MP Najib Mikati said that loyalty to the martyrs who fell in the summer 2006 conflict is expressed through "reinforcing Lebanese unity, and confronting any possible Israeli aggression." This calls for speeding up the cabinet formation based on the principles of consensus, solidarity and constructive national partnership among the Lebanese, away from obstruction and monopoly," the former premiere said.
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Higher Shiite Supreme Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, said the Lebanese had defeated Israel and achieved "divine victory" in 2006.
"The Lebanese were never intimidated by Israeli threats and will never be," Qabalan added in a statement on Monday.
Meanwhile, former Israeli army chief Dan Halutz said he would have recommended the military to take the same measures were the conflict were to erupt again.
"Even today, given the same figures, I would have recommended the same course of action," he told a conference at the Tel Aviv University's Center for Strategic Research on Sunday.
But former Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Israel had achieved only limited success during the war. Mofaz termed the war a "missed opportunity" for the Israel and told Israeli Radio on Sunday that Hizbullah now has more missiles than it did prior to the conflict. He added that the Shiite group had increased the range of its rockets.
Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, who served as the Israeli army's deputy chief of staff during the 34-day war, agreed with Mofaz, saying that both the army and the government made numerous mistakes. Kaplinsky, who spoke during a conference to mark the third anniversary of the war, said the Israeli military did not employ its preplanned reaction in case of soldier abduction and rocket fire. He added that the army also failed to utilize all of the units and tools at its disposal and was too slow at calling up reserve units. - The Daily Star

Unjustly jailed Palestinian declares Sleiman a 'hero'
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BEIRUT: Released prisoner Youssef Shaaban described President Michel Sleiman as a "hero" Monday for ordering his release after 15 years in prison. Lebanon's president on Friday ordered the release of the innocent Palestinian who spent 15 years in prison after he was convicted of assassinating a Jordanian diplomat, Omran al-Maayta in Beirut.
Sleiman also instructed the Justice Ministry to arrange for Shaaban's release. A Lebanese court found Shaaban guilty in 1994 of shooting the diplomat while he sat in his car in front of the Jordanian Embassy in January of that year. But in 2002, a court in Jordan found that other people were responsible for the slaying and convicted them. It took seven more years for Lebanon to issue a presidential pardon required for Shaaban's release. A statement Friday from the president's office did not say why it took so long.
During his trial, Shaaban admitted to being part of Abu Nidal's group. Those who were later found responsible for the diplomat's killing were also linked to Abu Nidal.
The assassination of Maayta, first secretary of the Jordanian Embassy in Beirut, took place as Jordan and Israel were in negotiations that led to a peace treaty in October 1994. Abu Nidal opposed peace between Israel and Arab nations. Rights groups, Shaaban's family and some politicians sought his pardon for years, saying he was unjustly imprisoned.
Shaaban was transferred Monday afternoon from a prison in Jbeil to the Directorate General of General security in Beirut in preparation for his release, after 15 year in jail.
Dozens of Palestinians gave Shaaban a hero's welcome at his home in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in south Beirut. Well-wishers carried him on their shoulders and waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags. - The Daily Star, with agencies

Amin al-Hafez will continue to serve as a point of reference for Lebanese
By The Daily Star /Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Editorial
The passing of Amin al-Hafez, Lebanon’s would-be prime minister in the 1970s, gives us pause as we reflect on someone who was synonymous with two things: “not becoming” premier, and always remaining a symbol of moral rectitude. When faced with the fierce opposition of the Sunni clerical establishment in 1973, Hafez opted out of the game and the entire process of forming a Cabinet in our lamentable, sect- and clan-dominated political system. Ironically, he was appointed to his post by a traditional za’im, Suleiman Franjieh, who also gave us the “youth” Cabinet of 1970 but was unable to see through a second, non-traditional choice.
Hafez decided to remain above the parochial world of political deal-making at the time, although he certainly could have had a prominent role in Lebanon’s history, as an ally of Yasser Arafat in the tumultuous 1970s.
It was in the nature of Amin al-Hafez to take such a principled moral stand and not waver, as evidenced by his later political career, as a long-standing representative of his native city, Tripoli, an MP during throughout the lost years of civil war, as well as the early years of post-conflict reconstruction.
Lebanon has had countless martyrs to politics: people whose deaths are blamed on Israel, or Syria, or others. But Hafez was one of those rarest of Lebanese creatures: a martyr who lost “only” his political life, and for the noblest of causes. By permanently bowing out of consideration for the post of prime minister, Hafez has served, and will continue to serve, as a point of reference for us. He might have been under the radar for many observers of Lebanese politics, but he’s the kind of person who suddenly springs into existence when it’s required.
This happens when one pauses and reflects, and seeks to understand where the border lies: the border between playing and not playing the same old game.
Such a fate can be common for those who are ahead of their time: Hafez was committed to a Lebanon of plurality and democracy, as well as to its Arab identity – the kind of principles we sorely need today. His own family is an extension of this love of country and nation; Hafez made contributions to politics, his late wife Laila to the world of literature, and son Ramzi to the world of the media, as the publisher of Lebanon Opportunities. Amin al-Hafez didn’t waver on his principles: re-forming and re-shaping our political system, using a secular approach to arrive at a civil state. He’ll be remembered at every time of moral crisis, when one needs to recall what it means to stick to one’s principles, and what it truly means to be committed to advancing the causes of the Arab world.

Our World: Syria's hour of triumph
By CAROLINE GLICK
Jerusalem/Post July14/09
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443799358&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
In an interview with Britain's Sky News over the weekend, US President Barack Obama was asked whether he is planning to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad's invitation to visit Damascus. The very fact that an American presidential visit to the Syrian capital is on the international agenda demonstrates how radically US foreign policy has shifted.
Four years ago, president George W. Bush withdrew the US ambassador from Damascus following the regime's suspected role in engineering the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. Last month Obama announced that he is returning the US ambassador to Damascus.
Obama's response to the Sky News query was instructive. "There are aspects of Syrian behavior that trouble us and we think there is a way that Syria can be much more constructive on a whole host of these issues," he began cautiously.
Then came the zinger: "But as you know, I'm a believer in engagement and my hope is that we can continue to see progress on that front." By so describing Syria, Obama acknowledged that it hasn't changed. The Syria he seeks to engage is the same Syria that Bush decided to isolate. But facts cannot compete with "hope." Obama is a "believer." He has "hope."
In his move to engage Syria, Obama is enthusiastically joined by France and the rest of Europe as well as by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Over the past several months, Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and dozens of others have beaten a path to Assad's door. With French President Nicolas Sarkozy leading the charge, all are agreed that Assad is a man they can do business with.
But are they right? In the absence of any change in Damascus's behavior, is there reason to believe that it can be coddled into abandoning its strategic alliance with Iran? Can it be sweet-talked into ending its support for the insurgency in Iraq, or arming Hizbullah and sponsoring Hamas? Can Syria be appeased into ending its nuclear and other nonconventional proliferation activities? Can it be "engaged" into ending its campaign against the pro-Western democrats in Lebanon?
To assess the reasonableness of engagement, it is first necessary to analyze the West's most significant achievements regarding Syria in recent years and consider their origins. Then, too, it is important to consider how these achievements are weathering the US's new commitment to engage Damascus as a strategic partner, and what their current status bodes for the future of the region.
THE WEST has had two significant achievements regarding Syria in recent years. The first came in April 2005 with the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon after a 29-year occupation. The second was Israel's September 6, 2007 attack on Syria's al-Kibar nuclear installation.
Three events precipitated Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. First there was the Cedar Revolution in which more than a million Lebanese took to the streets beginning on March 14, 2005 to demand that Syria withdraw in the wake of the Hariri assassination. Like the recent revolutionary ferment in Iran, this outpouring of opposition to Syria showed the West the massive dimensions of Lebanese yearning for independence. The Bush and Chirac governments responded with complementary willingness to confront Damascus.
The rare show of Franco-American unity as French president Jacques Chirac joined forces with the Bush administration to punish Assad for murdering Hariri was the second cause of Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. On March 25, 2005 the US and France pushed through UN Security Council Resolution 1695 mandating the establishment of a UN commission to investigate Hariri's assassination. The specter of this commission and the investigation that ensued served as a sword of Damocles pressing ever closer to Assad's throat.
Finally, Syria was convinced to withdraw due to the US's regional deterrent power. In March 2005 the US's military credibility in the region was at a high point. In January 8 million Iraqi voters had gone to the polls to vote in the first free and open elections in that country's history.
The US's message of resolve against Syria was unequivocal. Appearing with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir at the White House on March 16, 2005, Bush said, "United States policy is to work with friends and allies to insist that Syria completely leave Lebanon, Syria take all her troops out of Lebanon, Syria take her intelligence services out of Lebanon." There was no wiggle room for Syria four years ago. There was no appeasement. Assad had one option. He could withdraw his forces and let the Lebanese be free, or he could risk losing his regime. He left Lebanon.
UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY this singular achievement is being frittered away. With the evaporation of Western will to confront it, Syria is moving swiftly to reassert its control over Lebanon. The West has allowed the Hariri tribunal to fade away. And today it is effectively supporting Assad as he seeks to determine the character of the next Lebanese government.
In his speech to the Muslim world last month in Cairo, Obama indicated that the US no longer objected to Hizbullah or Hamas as political forces when he said, "America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them."
After last month's Lebanese elections in which Hizbullah lost to Sa'ad Hariri's March 14 movement, the administration went a step further. Rather than capitalize on Hizbullah's defeat by strengthening the victorious pro-democracy forces, the White House signaled that it preferred the formation of a unity government with Hizbullah. In a postelection statement, the White House urged the March 14 bloc to "maintain your power through consent."
Whereas the US has merely hinted its support for the inclusion of Hizbullah in the next Lebanese government, Europe has embraced the embraced the Iranian proxy terror group explicitly. France, Britain and the EU have all met with Hizbullah members since the elections and have enthusiastically thrown their support behind the Iranian proxy's participation in a "unity" government. Saudi Arabia has similarly come out in support of such a government.
The US and European embrace of Hizbullah is now enabling Syria to reassert its control over the Lebanon under the guise of the new era of engagement. Through its sponsorship of Hizbullah, Syria has become the primary power broker in Lebanon, even as it is heralded by the likes of Kouchner and Solana for its supposed noninterference in Lebanese politics.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, center, and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner attend a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday.
Photo: AP
Bowing to US, European and Saudi pressure to give Hizbullah in coalition negotiations what it failed to win at the ballot box, Hariri announced shortly after the election that he supports the establishment of a unity government. In so doing, he was forced to accept that the fate of his government now rests in Assad's hands.
With each passing day, it is increasingly clear that Syria means to extract a high price from Hariri in exchange for Hizbullah's sought-after participation in his government. Recognizing the trap, Hariri's supporters are calling for him to form a narrow coalition without Hizbullah and its sister parties. But it is hard to imagine that either the US or Europe would accept such an outcome.
Were Hariri to form a narrow coalition without Hizbullah, he would expose the lie of Syrian goodwill and noninterference in Lebanese affairs. And were he to expose Syria's bad faith, he would demonstrate the folly and danger of the US-led carnival of engagement. Since this outcome is unacceptable to both Obama and Sarkozy, who have staked their reputations on appeasing Assad where Bush and Chirac isolated him, Hariri will likely have no choice but to surrender his nation's hard earned independence to the same Syrian regime that killed his father four years ago.
WITH THE WEST now actively assisting Syria in reasserting its hegemony over Lebanon, the one achievement that remains in place is Israel's successful removal of the threat of Syria's nuclear program two years ago. But here too, the powerful legacy of that strike is being frittered away in this new era of engagement.
Israel's destruction of Syria's al-Kibar nuclear installation demonstrated three things. First, it revealed that Syria was massively engaged in illicit nuclear proliferation. Second, it showed that the option of striking illicit nuclear programs militarily is a viable option. And third, it exposed the strategic linkages between the Syrian, Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs.
Two years on, due to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's institutional hostility toward Israel and the US's unwillingness to confront Syria, Damascus has paid no international price for its rogue nuclear program. Indeed, the main target of the IAEA's investigations of the al-Kibar facility has been Israel. The message that UN and US unwillingness to contend with obvious proof of Syria's criminal behavior is obvious: Would-be proliferators have nothing to fear from the international community.
The absence of a reconstituted Syrian nuclear program after two years exposes the central operational lesson of Israel's air strike: Military strikes can be a very effective tool in preventing rogue states from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. But rather than internalize this lesson and embrace the deterrent force it provides the West in dealing with Iran and North Korea, the Obama administration has squandered it. By slavishly devoting itself to negotiating with Teheran and Pyongyang, it has removed the West's most effective tool for blocking nuclear proliferation.
Israel's strike exposed an inconvenient reality to the West. It showed that the Syrian, Iranian and North Korean programs are part and parcel of the same program. It is impossible to deal with any one of them in isolation. For two years, the US and its allies have ignored this truth, preferring to pretend that these programs are wholly independent entities rather than acknowledge that - evil or not - a trilateral axis of proliferation among Pyongyang, Teheran and Damascus is a going concern. As Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic tests and Iran's recent missile tests all show, the West's refusal to countenance reality has not made it go away or become less dangerous.
To the contrary, the West's preference for belief in hope and change has made things more dangerous. By ignoring the achievements of the Bush administration's policy of isolating and confronting Syria and denying the significance of its unchanged behavior, Obama and his followers are courting disaster.
The consequences of their squandering hard-won gains for regional security, freedom and stability will not be long in coming.
caroline@carolineglick.com
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443799358&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Can Syria end the Arab cold war?The gradual return of international diplomats to Damascus
signals a thaw in Syria's intractable feud with Saudi Arabia
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/14/syria-saudia-arabia-cold-war
Chris Phillips guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 14 July 2009
One by one the diplomats are returning to Damascus. In the wake of Barack Obama's decision to appoint a new ambassador to Syria, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has followed suit. However, a new Saudi ambassador represents more than a mirroring of western rapprochement with the Ba'athist regime – it is an olive branch between two states that have been locked in opposition for the last four years.
While Washington seemingly steps up its attempts to woo President Bashar al-Assad away from Iran, Saudi Arabia is working in conjunction to lure him into the so-called moderate Arab camp. With King Abdullah himself expected to visit Syria soon, could this ambassadorial appointment mark the first step in ending the latest round of the Arab cold war?
Malcolm Kerr described the 1950s and 1960s in the Middle East as an "Arab cold war" pitting Nasser's Egypt and allies against conservative Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Though the actors and ideologies have changed, some form of cold war in the Arab world has remained ever since, whether Cairo's temporary exclusion after making peace with Israel in 1979, or Syrian-Saudi-Egyptian collusion with the US against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 1991. Its latest embodiment is well known: Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, under the patronage of Iran, face allies of the US in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. While verbal attacks have dominated, with the "moderates" stoking fears of a "Shia Crescent" challenging Arab Sunni hegemony and the "radicals" lambasting Egypt's inaction during the Gaza war, violence has erupted too, notably when Saudi and Syria's proxies fought gun battles in Beirut last year.
So why is Saudi, arguably the bitterest of Syria's Arab rivals, extending a hand to end this cold conflict now? Riyadh has three priorities that promote reconciliation with Damascus. Firstly, it wishes to contain Syria's close ally, Iran, and particularly fears its nuclear programme. The Sunday Times recently reported a green light from Riyadh for an Israeli attack on Iran through Saudi airspace. Though this has not been confirmed, it is fair to say Riyadh would shed no tears over an Israeli strike. However, it would fear a domestic backlash should Hezbollah and Syria retaliate against Israel, and prying Assad from Ahmadinejad's embrace seems the best way to avoid this. The uncertainty in Tehran following the recent post-election protests has catalysed Saudi's renewed effort to detach Syria from Iran.
Another key factor is Lebanon. Saudi has long backed Saad Hariri and his supporters in the "March 14" group who emerged victorious in June's elections. Yet despite their victory Syria's allies – Hezbollah and the "March 8" group – remain powerful and some kind of compromise is needed if a functioning government is to be formed in Lebanon. Having already tried and failed to neutralise the opposition by military force, when Saudi-backed Sunni militants were swiftly defeated by Shia gunmen in May 2008, Riyadh understands it must enter dialogue with Damascus to keep the peace with Hezbollah and consolidate Hariri's electoral victory.
The final and arguably greatest priority for Riyadh is to toe Washington's line. Under George Bush, when the US's tone was confrontational, Saudi was similarly demanding of Syria. In contrast, following Obama's less antagonistic approach, Saudi and other Arab allies are softening their stance. King Abdullah of Jordan, the inventor of the "Shia Crescent" theory, has been in Damascus recently trying to sell Obama's peace initiative to Assad. Egypt has similarly invited Syria to help moderate Palestinian reconciliation talks, while Saudi's new ambassadorial appointment is the latest of several gestures of reconciliation during 2009.
So will these measures win over Syria and end the latest Arab cold war? Ostensibly Damascus is weak and in need of allies: Hezbollah is still reeling from electoral defeat and Iran is subdued domestically and isolated internationally. Moreover, US sanctions are starting to have an impact on the Syrian economy, and Obama's support is crucial if the long-occupied Golan Heights are to be recovered. Surely ditching Iran and embracing the Arab moderates is the best way to ensure the dual goals of economic development and returning territory?
Yet from a position of seeming weakness Assad is proving to be increasingly shrewd in foreign relations. He has turned the Lebanese defeat to his advantage by emphasising Syria's lack of interference – something that has won plaudits from the French president Nicolas Sarkozy among others. Similarly, a recent interview on western television has helped his British-born wife Asma present a more positive view of the country. Yet, at the same time as promoting western and Arab rapprochement, Assad has shored up the Iranian alliance by being the first leader to congratulate Ahmadinejad on his re-election.
Contrary to American and Saudi wishful thinking, it is the Iranian alliance that has given Syria its regional importance and allowed it to confront the moderate Arab states despite military and economic weakness. Assad has spoken of a desire to be the bridge or back-channel for the west to Tehran – and for this he needs to retain the alliance, not abandon it in some grand bargain for diplomatic realignment and economic investment. While his strategy of playing both sides to maximise gains for Syria might include welcoming Saudi's advances, this won't permanently end the latest Arab cold war and may ultimately make it slightly colder.

Fayyad and Syria's Regime Lie, Americans Applaud
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/14/2009
“Palestinian prime minister: Jews would be welcome in future state,” reads the headline. Now, it is well-known that the Palestinian Authority, which the aforementioned prime minister Salam Fayyad sort of heads, has always taken the view that all Jews must be removed from any future Palestinian state. This was also known to the more informed members of the audience, but modern Western intellectuals and journalists are very polite people—if you fall into the right category.
One man at least had the courage to ask if the emperor’s clothes weren’t a bit scanty:
“At the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival on Saturday, former CIA director James Woolsey noted that there are a million Arabs in Israel, accounting for one-sixth of the Israeli population, and...then asked PA (Palestinian Authority) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad: `If there is to be the rule of law in a Palestinian state, and if Jews want to live in someplace like Hebron, or anyplace else in a Palestinian state, for whatever reasons or historical attachments, why should they not be treated the same way Israeli Arabs are?’"
“Fayyad responded: `The kind of state that we want to have, that we aspire to have, is one that would definitely espouse high values of tolerance, co-existence, mutual respect and deference to all cultures, religions. No discrimination whatsoever, on any basis whatsoever. Jews to the extent they choose to stay and live in the state of Palestine will enjoy those rights and certainly will not enjoy any less rights than Israeli Arabs enjoy now in the State of Israel.’"
There is much that one can say about these two paragraphs. The Western media and academia is replete with articles about the allegedly terrible lot of Arabs in Israel. They are noticeably empty about the really terrible lot of Christians in many Muslim-majority places. (To be fair, I am not talking about the PA-ruled West Bank here.) The same applies to alleged oppression or repression in Israel and the lack of information on the very real oppression and repression where the PA rules. So already Fayyad has a head start.
What makes this especially disgusting is that leading figures in the PA recently attended a stage show at which Fatah bragged--as proof of its superiority to Hamas--of the mob murder, abetted by the PA police, of two unarmed Israeli reserve soldiers who took a wrong turn and found themselves in the middle of a PA-controlled city. The PA's response? To threaten the Italian reporter who filmed the murder.
Fayyad is lying. He knows he’s lying. The better-informed members of the audience know that he’s lying. So here’s what the audience did:
“The crowd at the Greenwald Pavilion applauded enthusiastically.”
This was followed by a fawning question by former assistant secretary of state Martin Indyk who, according to the newspaper:
“Complimented Fayyad on his plans to build up Palestinian government institutions en route to statehood, which Fayyad has set a goal of achieving in two years. He asked Fayyad if `final stage” political negotiations should also now be underway. “’
This is all pure nonsense since in fact Palestinian government institutions are a mess of corruption and incompetence while Fayyad has about as much chance of obtaining statehood in two years as (you are invited to fill in the blank with something appropriate).
“Fayyad answered that there was a risk for `this to be seen as an effort to make the occupation work better, and not to end it, and thereby doing away with any political viability that our political leadership still has.
“’What we are counting on is a meaningful political process that is capable of ending the occupation, because building the institutions of the state, by itself, is not going to end the occupation. It is a necessary condition, but it is not sufficient ....Both have to work together.”
What he’s really saying is that his idea of a peace process is that the West will force Israel to pull out of the West Bank without the PA doing anything. This is what he has put forward as strategy in his main policy speech, which those in the audience should have read and digested but presumably didn’t.
And then this exchange:
“Earlier in the interview, Fayyad said that Palestinian elections set for January should definitely be held as scheduled.
“`That is an absolute right for the people,’” he said, adding that, “`it is no secret that Hamas does not want elections.’”
“`Because they think they will lose?’” asked [columnist Tom] Friedman.
“`I don’t know of what other reason they may have,” Fayyad said.
“`That’s usually a pretty good reason not to have elections,’” Friedman said.
Ha! Ha! Very funny. But in fact everyone in the audience should know—and Friedman must know—that it was Fayyad’s boss, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA’s chief executive, who cancelled elections and unilaterally extended his term.
True, the PA cannot supervise elections in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, but Fatah which rules the PA has never even held internal elections. And some of the poll results show Hamas as being very strong in the West Bank.
The following is a true story: In the run-up to the Gaza elections which Hamas won, Fatah and PA officials approached Israel and proposed having a phony military confrontation that would give the PA an opportunity to cancel the elections. But Fayyad—who, true, was not involved in this particular incident--is allowed to get away with his supposed dedication to democracy.
Earlier in the day, Fayyad said that the way to handle Hamas—which to her credit Senator Diane Feinstein condemned at the conference--is to get Palestinians to support
“That which is done to affect a meaningful change for the better in people’s lives. I think we stand a much better chance of winning that debate than going about it in a war of words, which has typified much of the argument over the divide.”
But Fayyad knows, as should the well-informed people in the audience, that his stated policy is to make a power-sharing deal with Hamas. So if Feinstein accurately described Hamas as “a militaristic/terrorist organization that still believes Israel should be driven into the sea, that does not admit Israel’s right to exist,” why is Fayyad seeking to bring it into his government?
I know I should stop here, but it is impossible to describe the absurd credulity of the contemporary scene—Festival of Ideas, indeed!—without discussing the end of the article. Not content to apologize for one such regime, the article continues with the words of another honored speaker, Syrian ambassador to the U.S. Imad Moustapha. (The quotes were taken from an interview he just did in the Atlantic.)
Here is the representative of a vicious dictatorship, one of the world’s leading supporters of terrorism, where the state produces television series showing Jews murdering Christian children to drink their blood and helps terrorists get into Iraq to murder American soldiers (you know, working class people who don’t usually hang out in Aspen).
And what does Moustapha lecture Americans about? Why democracy, of course!
“`Democracy is an ideal state that is never attainable,’” Moustapha said,” well that’s sure true in Syria!
He goes on—a statement too priceless not to quote:
“When asked about the state of democratic freedoms in Syria, Moustapha said that U.S. policy seemed to be that the Arab people should only elect those candidates and parties supported by the U.S.” He cited the Hamas win in the Gaza Strip and the recent elections in Lebanon. Given Syria’s bloody history in Lebanon and more recent involvement in murders, this is rich, though perhaps not as rich as the Aspen audience.
In regard to U.S. policy in Syria, the Syrian ambassador said, “You need to leave us to evolve into a more democratic state from within. Don’t try to impose anything on us from without.”
Right, just let Syria go on trying to impose its interests on Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan, and Iraq “from without.”
But isn’t this what it’s all about? The United States and its friends are responsible for all the world’s problems. America should make up for its sins by either supporting its enemies, sending them checks, or at least doing nothing.
Oh, yes, did I mention applauding their lies enthusiastically?
**Prof. Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Interdisciplinary university. His new book is The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan).
You can buy his latest book The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict on Amazon.com here.
**Published in cooperation with the Gloria Center